Phrase · 📜 Proverbs in conversation
Nos cancelaron el vuelo, pero al mal tiempo, buena cara.
They cancelled our flight, but you have to make the best of it.
C2staying positiveinformallearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Nos4object pronounon us (our)nosotros · 1st pl. · indirect objectcancelaron4verbthey cancelledcancelar · past · 3rd pl.eldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitevuelonounflightmasc. · sing.,peroconjunctionbutal2prepositionto thea+elmal3adjectivebadmalo · masc. · sing.tiempo1nounweathermasc. · sing.,buena1adjectivegoodbueno · fem. · sing.cara1nounfacefem. · sing..
- al → cara: al mal tiempo, buena cara: frozen proverb
- mal → tiempo: mal: short form of malo before a masculine noun
- buena → cara: buena agrees with cara (f. sg.)
- Nos → cancelaron: nos: the people affected
Word for word: “They cancelled the flight on us, but to bad weather, a good face.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Al mal tiempo, buena cara = keep smiling when things go wrong (lit. to bad weather, a good face).
- 2Natural and upbeat: you say it to yourself or to cheer someone up. No verb at all: proverbs love ellipsis.
- 3mal is the short form of malo before a masculine noun (mal tiempo), like buen for bueno.
- 4Nos cancelaron el vuelo: the dative nos marks who is affected; "they" is the airline. Indirect object pronouns and doubling →
Variations
- Se canceló el vuelo, pero al mal tiempo, buena cara.
- Nos cancelaron el vuelo, pero hay que ponerle buena cara.
- Nos cancelaron el vuelo; al mal tiempo, buena cara, y nos quedamos un día más.