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One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist

 

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings.

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  #1
Old July 30, 2010, 10:29 PM
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Question One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist
One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know...

While this can be taken 'literally', I don't think it is used in the strict sense of the words...

How would you translate it into Spaninsh?

¿"Uno no tiene que ser un científico atómico"?
¿"Uno no tiene que ser un científico especialista en cohetes"?

I think I would go with something like,
"Uno no tiene que ser ningún Einstein para saber/darse cuenta/comprender..."

What Spanish options would be the best?
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  #2
Old July 31, 2010, 03:49 AM
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I use like this "It's not rocket science." To which google translates to "No es ciencia de cohetes." But would this have the same meaning? I would define it as "Whatever task or job you are doing, it isn't that hard or you don't have to be smart to accomplish it. It's easy."

Another which is pretty much the same is "You don't have to be a brain surgeon..."
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  #3
Old July 31, 2010, 06:43 AM
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En Chile se usa mucho "no tengo que haber ido a la universidad para saber esto" se ocupa/usa para el sentido común.
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Old July 31, 2010, 08:01 AM
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What is the difference between tener and haber?
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  #5
Old July 31, 2010, 08:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
En Chile se usa mucho "no tengo que haber ido a la universidad para saber esto" se ocupa/usa para el sentido común.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris View Post
What is the difference between tener and haber?
I don't have to have gone to university to know all this.

Does it make sense?

EDIT:

Tener que = must

I must not have gone to university to know this.
Last edited by chileno; July 31, 2010 at 08:22 AM.
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  #6
Old July 31, 2010, 08:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
I don't have to have gone to university to know all this.

Does it make sense?

EDIT:

Tener que = must

I must not have gone to university to know this.
Do not confuse

I must not
I do not have to

In the above, the sense would be that only by not going to university you could know this.
I do not have to means it is not necessary

OK?
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  #7
Old July 31, 2010, 08:32 AM
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Haber is the helping verb 'have' that appears in the compound verb conjugations. Tener is used to indicate that you possess something. (And it is used to indicate personal characteristics, like one's age.)

A conjugated form of haber is needed to translate these verbs:
I have seen
I had gone
I will have read
I would have known
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  #8
Old July 31, 2010, 12:30 PM
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Uno no tiene que ser experto en cohetes para... / No se tiene que ser... para
Uno no necesita ser experto en cohetes para... / No se necesita ser... para

Creo que es bastante popular decirlo así, conjugandolo de acuerdo a la oración, por supuesto:
A: ¡Qué difícil es manejar! ¡No logro prender el motor!
B: Pero... ¿Leíste el manual que te dí?
C: Ni que se necesitase ser experto en cohetes para poner un motor en marcha...
A: ¡Vos cerrá el pico!... que ni me querés acompañar a practicar.
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Last edited by ookami; July 31, 2010 at 12:33 PM.
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  #9
Old July 31, 2010, 01:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
Do not confuse

I must not
I do not have to

In the above, the sense would be that only by not going to university you could know this.
I do not have to means it is not necessary

OK?
Oh well, then I shouldn't have gone to university just to know this.

Would it be OK?
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  #10
Old July 31, 2010, 01:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Oh well, then I shouldn't have gone to university just to know this.

Would it be OK?
No it isn't. I need not have gone to university just to know this.
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  #11
Old July 31, 2010, 01:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
No it isn't. I need not have gone to university just to know this.
a

OK, please translate the following to English:

No debiera ir a la universidad pasa saber (sólo) esto.

No debería ir a la universidad para saber (sóolo) esto.

Don't bang your head that way, and I am sorry for being hardheaded.
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  #12
Old July 31, 2010, 01:32 PM
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So in an English sentence "I just HAD to HAVE it!" the verb haber would be HAD and tener would be HAVE?

EDIT: Or "I have to go to the bathroom." I would use haber instead of tener right?

He a ir al baño.
Last edited by Chris; July 31, 2010 at 01:37 PM.
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  #13
Old July 31, 2010, 01:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris View Post
So in an English sentence "I just HAD to HAVE it!" the verb haber would be HAD and tener would be HAVE?
No, in Spanish both are tener.

Tener/deber as in must/should.

Of in Spanish you can say:

Debo/tengo que tenerlo = I have/must have it.

Should = debiera/debería.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris View Post
So in an English sentence "I just HAD to HAVE it!" the verb haber would be HAD and tener would be HAVE?

EDIT: Or "I have to go to the bathroom." I would use haber instead of tener right?

He a ir a el baño.
He de ir al baño = I must/shall go to the bathroom

Tengo que ir al baño = I have to go to the bathroom.
Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; July 31, 2010 at 04:04 PM. Reason: Merged back-to-back posts
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  #14
Old July 31, 2010, 01:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
No debiera ir a la universidad pasa saber (sólo) esto.

No debería ir a la universidad para saber (sóolo) esto.

Don't bang your head that way, and I am sorry for being hardheaded.
Sorry. I would not have to go to university (just) to know that (for both of them - I can't think of a way to differentiate.)
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Old July 31, 2010, 01:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
He de ir al baño = I must/shall go to the bathroom

Tengo que ir al baño = I have to go to the bathroom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perikles View Post
Sorry. I would not have to go to university (just) to know that (for both of them - I can't think of a way to differentiate.)
That I would translate it as:

No tendría que ir a la universidad (sólo) para saber eso.

So no more ideas?

Let me tell you a secret, here the problem is English not Spanish, don't tell anyone though...
Last edited by chileno; July 31, 2010 at 01:50 PM.
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  #16
Old July 31, 2010, 01:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Let me tell you a secret, here the problem is English not Spanish, don't tell anyone though...
I agree - it's English that is out of line with other European languages. The negatives of auxiliary verbs are difficult. Not my fault.

PD - I'm logging off - it's late, and the Spanish wine has gone to my head. Goodnight all.
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  #17
Old August 01, 2010, 09:47 AM
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For a typical use of the expression 'rocket science' see this clip. (Can somebody tell me how to embed it?)

This girl is not a rocket scientist. Nothing to do with hair colour.
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  #18
Old August 01, 2010, 10:59 AM
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En México se dice mucho "(tal cosa) no es la gran ciencia" o "no se necesita la gran ciencia para (saber algo)".

También es común:
- No se necesita ser muy inteligente para (saber algo).
- No hace falta ser un intelectual para saber (algo).

"No se necesita ser un Einstein" no es una expresión común, pero se entiende bien.
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Old August 01, 2010, 05:34 PM
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Bueno... (¡Qué bueeeeno, Daniel! Como dicen Les Luthiers...) Muchas gracias a todos por el input y el feedback...

Quizá no sean científicos de la NASA, pero dominan el idioma como buenos nativos... un placer conocer sus puntos de vistas, usos, comprensiones, idiosincrasias, y derivaciones...
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  #20
Old August 02, 2010, 01:53 AM
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Easier (and more common):

Uno no tiene por qué...
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