Situación límite

[poli]

¿Que significa situación limite? --a dire circumstance

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Se refiere a una situación extraordinariamente intensa, en el extremo de lo imaginable o de lo alcanzable: perder a una persona muy cercana, accidentarse o enfermarse gravemente, dar en adopción un hijo, ser víctima de un delito violento, perder el patrimonio en un desastre... cosas que hacen que la vida se vuelva (casi) imposible de enfrentar.


I guess dire circumstance would be a fine equivalent, yes.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

I guess dire circumstance would be a fine equivalent, yes.

My dictionary gives "extreme situation".

By the way, I would never say "dire circumstance", always plural "dire circumstances". Perhaps a BrE thing.

[Alik]

Tengo una pregunta.

¿En español, también se dice situación extrema? ¿Es lo mismo?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Alik: Puede decirse "situación extrema", pero "situación límite" es la colocación más común.


@Perikles: I only worked on Poli's suggestion; I didn't know whether there was a standard translation for it.
I didn't go to the dictionary, except for finding "dire".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Perikles: I only worked on Poli's suggestion; I didn't know whether there was a standard translation for it.
I didn't go to the dictionary, except for finding "dire".

Poli suggested it which makes me think it's possible in AmE.

I've checked in COCA, which gives 7 hits on the singular, and 65 in the plural. In the British version, 4 plural and zero singular. So the singular looks possible over there, but not here.

[poli]

I think both are suitable. It depends on whether the circumstance is just one thing or plural. Often the results of an ill deed are more many, so the plural form is more come common in American English too as your search concluded.

Thanks Angelica for answering my question promptly. Oh, and thanks for putting the accent mark on my o