Ask a Question

(Create a thread)
Go Back   Spanish language learning forums > Spanish & English Languages > Vocabulary > Idioms & Sayings
Register Help/FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search PenpalsTranslator


El que avisa no es traidor

 

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.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old October 05, 2014, 01:54 AM
ROBINDESBOIS's Avatar
ROBINDESBOIS ROBINDESBOIS is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,040
ROBINDESBOIS is on a distinguished road
El que avisa no es traidor

How do we say that in English?
El que avisa no es traidor.
He who warns is not a traitor.
Reply With Quote
   
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
  #2  
Old October 05, 2014, 08:32 AM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,316
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Your translation is fine, but the literal translation doesn't appear to be a popular saying in English.

Two translations that are offered online are
"He who warns is not scorned" and
"He who warns is excused." (This last one is a translation of an Arabic phrase.)

If you'd rather use a popular saying, try
"Don't say I didn't warn you,"
"Don't say you weren't warned,"
"Don't say I haven't warned you," or
"Don't say you haven't been warned."

Even the simple "You have been warned," is a good translation.

"Forewarned is forearmed," a translation of
"Praemonitus praemunitus,"
could also be used, but isn't as popular a saying as those mentioned above.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old October 05, 2014, 09:13 AM
Ivy2937 Ivy2937 is offline
Ruby
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Medellín
Posts: 42
Native Language: Español
Ivy2937 is an unknown quantity at this point
Rusty :
He who is warned is not betrayed, is this sentence correct?
Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old October 05, 2014, 12:03 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,316
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
It is an appropriate translation, to be sure, but is not a popular English saying.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old October 05, 2014, 05:19 PM
MikeLeone MikeLeone is offline
Opal
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 5
Native Language: English
MikeLeone is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS View Post
How do we say that in English?
El que avisa no es traidor.
He who warns is not a traitor.
What's the meaning of this idiom? Can you tell? The translation seems fine, but as someone answered above, you may find a better way to say it in english. It depends also where and who you're speaking to (american, british?)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old October 05, 2014, 05:29 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,316
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
The OP is from Spain, so he is in general contact with British English.
Some, if not all, of the translations I provided work in either hemisphere.

Asking what an expression means is a good course of action, since no meaning was provided.

I first searched for the meaning of the expression before providing the translations I gave.

Idioms, sayings and expressions in one language often have equivalents in another. The trick is learning how they are expressed in the other tongue.
A word-for-word or a literal translation seldom works.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old October 05, 2014, 09:39 PM
poli's Avatar
poli poli is offline
rule 1: gravity
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: In and around New York
Posts: 7,814
Native Language: English
poli will become famous soon enoughpoli will become famous soon enough
I assume it means don't shoot the messenger.
__________________
Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old October 05, 2014, 09:53 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,316
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
No, the Spanish phrase doesn't mean that.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old October 06, 2014, 09:29 AM
poli's Avatar
poli poli is offline
rule 1: gravity
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: In and around New York
Posts: 7,814
Native Language: English
poli will become famous soon enoughpoli will become famous soon enough
Well, if you treat the guy who presents the bad news as a traitor, it seems similar to shooting the messenger. It is true that there is a difference between someone who presents the bad news and someone who warns of bad events, but I think in many cases they are interchangeable.
__________________
Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old October 06, 2014, 11:34 AM
aleCcowaN's Avatar
aleCcowaN aleCcowaN is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Posts: 3,127
Native Language: Castellano
aleCcowaN is on a distinguished road
"Shooting the messenger" has nothing to do with "el que avisa no es traidor". It seems to be some misunderstanding there about what "avisar" means: it isn't to convey a message or bad news -then maybe becoming the scapegoat accountable for those bad news- but to warn or notify about the future actions of the very same person issuing the warning.

The Spanish idiom says you shouldn't resent the actions of someone who beforehand has warned you about doing so.
__________________
[gone]
Reply With Quote
Reply

 

Link to this thread
URL: 
HTML Link: 
BB Code: 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Site Rules


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:31 PM.

Forum powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

X