Phrase · 😏 Irony and understatement
¡Ni que yo fuera tu chofer!
As if I were your chauffeur!
C2sarcastic refusalcolloquialAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
¡Ni1conjunction(not) evenque1conjunctionif (lit. that)yo3pronounI1st sing. · subjectfuera2verbwereser · subjunctive · imperfect · 1st sing.tudetermineryour2nd sing.chofer3nounchauffeur, drivermasc. · sing.!
- Ni → fuera: ni que + imperfect subjunctive
- yo → fuera: yo agrees with fuera
- tu → chofer: tu chofer
Word for word: “Not even that I were your chauffeur!”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1¡Ni que + imperfect subjunctive! = as if…!: rejects an unreasonable request by exaggerating it. Como si, ni que and comparisons with clauses →
- 2fuera = imperfect subjunctive of ser (also fuese), as after como si. Imperfect subjunctive: forms and uses →
- 3chofer (Latin America, stress on -fer) / chófer (Spain). The explicit yo adds emphasis.
Variations
- ¡Ni que fuera tu chofer!
- ¡Ni que yo fuera tu chófer!
- ¡Como si yo fuera tu chofer!