Uses of todo

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!

"Todo(a)", here gives an idea of "enteramente" (:approx: 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. :)

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.

:thumbsup: I agree.

Understanding what you are saying rather than translating into a single formula is for me what learning a language is all about. :)

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.