Choose your battles...

[laepelba]

Is there a Spanish equivalent to the English saying that you need to "choose your battles carefully"? I'm not looking for a literal translation. I'm just wondering if there's a Spanish saying that lends the same meaning... I teach high school algebra, and often find myself trying to convince my students that they're picking arguments (usually with other adults) over silly things. (Yesterday I watched a kid get thrown out of a class ... and it all started because he asked another student for a pencil ... but he escalated the argument with the teacher (who only wanted him to quiet down) ... it was silly ... and a good kid missed an entire class period.) Thanks!

[Rusty]

Tienes que elegir/escoger las/tus batallas con cuidado/(muy) cuidadosamente.
Hay que ... .
Debes ... .

Using las batallas is more common than using the determiner (mis, tus, sus, etc.).

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Is there a Spanish equivalent to the English saying that you need to "choose your battles carefully"? I'm not looking for a literal translation. I'm just wondering if there's a Spanish saying that lends the same meaning... I teach high school algebra, and often find myself trying to convince my students that they're picking arguments (usually with other adults) over silly things. (Yesterday I watched a kid get thrown out of a class ... and it all started because he asked another student for a pencil ... but he escalated the argument with the teacher (who only wanted him to quiet down) ... it was silly ... and a good kid missed an entire class period.) Thanks!

Just the translation that Rusty offered.

I would not understand it, because in my head, I cannot see myself, as a student, arguing with a teacher like that. :-)

Hernan.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Just the translation that Rusty offered.

I would not understand it, because in my head, I cannot see myself, as a student, arguing with a teacher like that. :-)

Hernan.

¡Claro! No puedo altercar nunca con autoridad, como los maestros. These kids get all upset over ridiculous little things. They need to learn to "let go". ¡Necesitan aprender a aflojarse! (Le correja, favor....)

(Hernán - is "Spanglish" okay when I'm in a hurry on my lunch break? ...cuando almuerzo...)

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

¡Claro! No puedo altercar nunca con autoridad, como los maestros. These kids get all upset over ridiculous little things. They need to learn to "let go". ¡Necesitan aprender a aflojarse! (Le correja, favor....)

"no se puede nunca altercar con las autoridades, como lo son los maestros. Estos niños se enfurecen por pequeñas cosas ridículas. Necesitan aprender a dejar las cosas como son (o como estan). Necesitan aprender a aflojarse.Me corrije por favor (o corríjame por favor)

Originally Posted by laepelba

(Hernán - is "Spanglish" okay when I'm in a hurry on my lunch break? ...cuando almuerzo...)

Si porque en realidad no es spanglish.

Spanglish es cuando nosotros españolizamos una palabra inglesa. Ej:

To mop = mapear.

Truck = troca or troka

Y en esto muchos mexicanos van a entender esto que sigue :

hacer un jon ron.

or You make a Spanish word an English one. ie:

There a couple of words that I cannot think of at this moment, but it looks like this...

You want to say in spanish, "I am very tired"

and you say "Yo mucho tiro"

... and I forget the usual word....

I suffer from CRS Syndrome.

Hernan.

[laepelba]

First of all, I think we need a small "rule": Only people with comic character avatars can post to this thread. LOL!!

Second - "pequeñas cosas" - in this context, could that be equivalently replaced with "cositas" (given the affinity that Spanish speakers have for the diminutive)??

Third - can we redefine "Spanglish" in "Lou Ann's World" as a mixture of Spanish and English in the same sentences & paragraphs when she's in a hurry??

"El Mundo de Lou Ann"............

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

"no se puede nunca altercar con las autoridades, como lo son los maestros. Estos niños se enfurecen por pequeñas cosas ridículas. Necesitan aprender a dejar las cosas como son (o como estan). Necesitan aprender a aflojarse.Me corrije por favor (o corríjame por favor)

Some questions about this, too.... It's the pronouns that I'm not seeming to get right....... Let me break it apart:
- "no se puede..." (instead of "no puedo...") - third person verb? and to what does the "se" refer?
- "como lo son lose maestros..." (instead of "como los maestros...") - is this like saying "like those who are teachers"?
- "me corrije" o "corríjame..." (instead of "le correja...") - I was trying to say "correct it" (referring to "what I've written") - but is it better to say "correct ME"?

Originally Posted by chileno

Si porque en realidad no es spanglish.

Spanglish es cuando nosotros españolizamos una palabra inglesa. Ej:

To mop = mapear.

Truck = troca or troka

Y en esto muchos mexicanos van a entender esto que sigue :

hacer un jon ron.

or You make a Spanish word an English one. ie:

There a couple of words that I cannot think of at this moment, but it looks like this...

You want to say in spanish, "I am very tired"

and you say "Yo mucho tiro"

... and I forget the usual word....

I suffer from CRS Syndrome.

Hernan.

So you mean things like "no problemo" and "si señor" and other "Spanish-y" sounding things that some Americans say are what you're referring to by saying "Spanglish"?

(YAWN....) Estoy cansada..........

Este es el mundo de Lou Ann..........

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by chileno

"no se puede nunca altercar con las autoridades, como lo son los maestros. Estos niños se enfurecen por pequeñas cosas ridículas. Necesitan aprender a dejar las cosas como son (o como estan). Necesitan aprender a aflojarse.Me corrije por favor (o corríjame por favor)




Si porque en realidad no es spanglish.

Spanglish es cuando nosotros españolizamos una palabra inglesa. Ej:

To mop = mapear.

Truck = troca or troka

Y en esto muchos mexicanos van a entender esto que sigue :

hacer un jon ron.

or You make a Spanish word an English one. ie:

There a couple of words that I cannot think of at this moment, but it looks like this...

You want to say in spanish, "I am very tired"

and you say "Yo mucho tiro"

... and I forget the usual word....

I suffer from CRS Syndrome.

Hernan.

You are right. Jon ron. It's very used in my country for the folks. Just I was reading the post of leapelda. I believe that her translation needed is (Escoge tu batalla con autoridad.)

I hope you can understand my opinion above.

[poli]

Oye Snow White, Spanglish is not spoken by English speakers trying to learn Spanish. Spanglish is spoken by second and third generation Hispanics living in English speaking environs. Their schooling is in English, their culture is anglo, but their family speaks Spanish amongst themselves. Because this language is not encouraged by the popular culture or the schools, it changes a lot. Many English words are incorporated in the lingo. Insead of saying el techo tiene una gotera Neoricans (Puerto Rican New Yorkers) are known to say things like el rufo tiene un liqueo..(the roof has a leak). I have heard similar usage in San Antonio Tx,and I am sure It's the same in Pilsen(Chicago) East LA, Adams Morgan in DC, The Mission(San Francisco), La Famosa Calle 8 in Miami and every other metropolitan area in the USA with a significant Spanish-speaking population --although Spanish seems to be winning in Miami and English sounds pretty Engspan to me down there.

[Rusty]

se puede

This construct is the impersonal se. In English, when we are speaking in general, we say 'They say/One says it's going to rain.' (Se dice que va a llover.) Another example is 'Spanish is spoken here.' (Se habla español.)

The third person (singular or plural) is always used in this construct. The pronoun is always se.

correct it = corrígelo
correct him = corrígelo
correct her = corrígela
correct me = corrígeme

como lo son los maestros = as teachers are (they are the authorities)
English speakers don't quite see the need for the 'additional' pronoun, but it is necessary. I don't have a grammatical reason for it, but the pronoun stands in for whatever was being discussed before the phrase was invoked - no matter the gender or number.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

You are right. Jon ron. It's very used in my country for the folks. Just I was reading the post of leapelda. I believe that her translation needed is (Escoge tu batalla con autoridad.)

I hope you can understand my opinion above.

YES - I understand your statement. But, Luis, my question would be: is it a common phrase, or merely a translation?

Originally Posted by poli

Oye Snow White, Spanglish is not spoken by English speakers trying to learn Spanish. Spanglish is spoken by second and third generation Hispanics living in English speaking environs. Their schooling is in English, their culture is anglo, but their family speaks Spanish amongst themselves. Because this language is not encouraged by the popular culture or the schools, it changes a lot. Many English words are incorporated in the lingo. Insead of saying el techo tiene una gotera Neoricans (Puerto Rican New Yorkers) are known to say things like el rufo tiene un liqueo..(the roof has a leak). I have heard similar usage in San Antonio Tx,and I am sure It's the same in Pilsen(Chicago) East LA, Adams Morgan in DC, The Mission(San Francisco), La Famosa Calle 8 in Miami and every other metropolitan area in the USA with a significant Spanish-speaking population --although Spanish seems to be winning in Miami and English sounds pretty Engspan to me down there.

Gotcha - I now feel I know the difference between "Spaniglish" and "Lou Ann's mixture of Spanish and English in the same paragraph."

SO, my question is now (still for Hernán): May I (please) mix Spanish and English when typing on my short lunch break or other limited time frames?

O ... mi pregunta está para Hernán: ¿Puedo argamasar el español y el inglés cuando tipeando mientras almuerzo?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

se puede

This construct is the impersonal se. In English, when we are speaking in general, we say 'They say/One says it's going to rain.' (Se dice que va a llover.) Another example is 'Spanish is spoken here.' (Se habla español.)

The third person (singular or plural) is always used in this construct. The pronoun is always se.

Ohhhhh!!! Methinks I just had a breakthrough. I was JUST wondering (no joke ... this evening I was wondering) about all of the times that we say "you/they *do something*" where the "you" is generic. (Obviously more accurately said "impersonal".) Could this be applied in a situation like in my "upstairs/downstairs" question - see http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=3121 ??

GRACIAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rusty]

No hay de que. Espero te ayude.

[CrOtALiTo]

I think that merely it could to pass as a usage middle folks.

I don't know. Always I have said each country has itself way to speaks.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

First of all, I think we need a small "rule": Only people with comic character avatars can post to this thread. LOL!!

Right.. I got mine this morning and I have some others...

Originally Posted by laepelba

Second - "pequeñas cosas" - in this context, could that be equivalently replaced with "cositas" (given the affinity that Spanish speakers have for the diminutive)??

Excellent!

Originally Posted by laepelba

Third - can we redefine "Spanglish" in "Lou Ann's World" as a mixture of Spanish and English in the same sentences & paragraphs when she's in a hurry??

"El Mundo de Lou Ann"............

Well, the we can call "el mundito de Lou Ann" right?

Originally Posted by laepelba

SO, my question is now (still for Hernán): May I (please) mix Spanish and English when typing on my short lunch break or other limited time frames?

O ... mi pregunta está para Hernán: ¿Puedo argamasar el español y el inglés cuando tipeando mientras almuerzo?

Si, pero te equivocaste. debiera ser: ¿Puedo mixiar el español y el inglées cuando esté tipeando mientras almuerzo?

Lo estas haciendo muy bien. Por favor no le busques todavia la gramatica correcta. Eso vendra con un poco mas de PRACTICA. Y lo mas entretenido, es que tu ya sabes la gramatica de tu idioma. No te preocupes.

Originally Posted by Rusty

No hay de que. Espero te ayude.

It sure helped me!

You make me think stuff that I haven't heard of in ages!

Hernan

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Well, the we can call "el mundito de Lou Ann" right?

Hernan.

I didn't know it was such a little world.....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I didn't know it was such a little world.....

You were the one so keen with diminutives...well beside me. :-)

Hernan

[CrOtALiTo]

Leapelda.

Still. Don't you find sence to the sentence?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Lou Ann: it's not small, it's an affectionate term.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Leapelda.

Still. Don't you find sence to the sentence?

Luis - YES, I definitely understand the sentence. I was merely wondering if Spanish speakers have a saying that conveys the same meaning ... not necessarily using the term "battles", but just the same idea of being better about choosing the right things to get upset about. That's all.

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Lou Ann: it's not small, it's an affectionate term.

Malila - I know it's affectionate. The thing about diminutives that I need to get used to is that they're called "diminutives". In English, that would be condescending in and of itself. And, in English, using diminutive statements is not necessarily complementary (unless one is talking to a four-year-old....) My Peruvian friend is about 5' tall, married to a VERY tall man named Roberto & their 9-year-old is also Roberto. She calls him Robertito ... and it makes me wonder what she'll call him when he is (soon) taller than she.

The other thing about the diminutives is that if I don't pick up on them, I have difficulty using the dictionary to look up words that I don't know. (I'm so forgetful....)