Phrase · 📜 Proverbs and sayings
El que mucho abarca poco aprieta.
Don't bite off more than you can chew.
C1warning against overcommittinglearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Eldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definiteque1pronounthat, which, whomucho3adverba lot, muchabarca2verbtakes in, grasps atabarcar · present · 3rd sing.pocoadverblittle, not muchaprietaverbsqueezes, holds tightapretar · present · 3rd sing..
- mucho → poco: mucho … poco
- aprieta → que: subject
Word for word: “Whoever grasps at a lot holds on to little.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1El que = whoever: a generic subject, typical of proverbs. Relative clauses I: que, quien, donde, lo que →
- 2Meaning: if you take on too much, you do none of it well. Advice against overcommitting.
- 3mucho and poco go before their verbs for contrast, an old word order.
Variations
- Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.