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Old September 04, 2013, 03:31 PM
trfie trfie is offline
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Uses of todo

HI all,

I am studying Spanish and came across these 2 sentences in a course, for which translations were not given; I don't understand what the meaning is. How would you translate these to English?

Nuestra jefa es toda una directora.
Carmen es toda una mujer.

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old September 04, 2013, 04:44 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
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"Todo(a)", here gives an idea of "enteramente" ( wholy/completely).

El policía es todo un héroe. -> Almost literally, this would be something like "The policeman is completely a hero", but maybe in English it would be a bit more natural to say "The policeman is a real hero."

Now you can have an idea to propose your own translations for the sentences in your course. If you need more help, just ask.
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Old September 07, 2013, 05:24 PM
trfie trfie is offline
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How are these translations:

The policeman is totally a hero.
Our chief is an excellent director.
Carmen is a real woman.

I noticed I used different English words in all 3 cases but these were the translations that seemed to capture the gist.
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Old September 09, 2013, 06:59 PM
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AngelicaDeAlquezar AngelicaDeAlquezar is offline
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I agree.

Understanding what you are saying rather than translating into a single formula is for me what learning a language is all about.
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Old September 09, 2013, 07:57 PM
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The direct English translation of todo in this case every bit a. It sounds kind of British, but it could definitely be used in the states as well. Example: The stranger who rescued the baby from the burning building is every bit a hero.
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