Phrase · 🧩 Idioms for attitudes and reactions
Sabe que se equivocó, pero no da su brazo a torcer.
He knows he was wrong, but he won't back down.
C1describing stubbornnesslearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Sabeverbknowssaber · present · 3rd sing.queconjunctionthatsepronounhimself, herself, itself, themselves; (impersonal)3rdequivocó2verbwas wrongequivocarse · past · 3rd sing.,peroconjunctionbutnoadverbnot, nodaverbgives; (dar su brazo a torcer) to back downdar · present · 3rd sing.sudeterminerhis, her, its, your, their3rd sing.brazo1nounarmmasc. · sing.aprepositionto, attorcerverbto twistinfinitive.
- se → equivocó: pronominal verb
- da → brazo: dar su brazo a torcer
- su → brazo: m. sg.
Word for word: “He knows he was wrong, but he doesn't give his arm to be twisted.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1no dar su brazo a torcer = to refuse to back down; Portuguese has the same idiom.
- 2equivocarse = to be wrong: pronominal, here in the preterite.