Phrase · 📜 Proverbs in conversation
Salgo a las cinco para evitar el tráfico: a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.
I leave at five to beat the traffic: the early bird catches the worm.
C2justifying an early startlearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
SalgoverbI leavesalir · present · 1st sing.aprepositionatlasdeterminertheel · fem. · pl. · definitecincodeterminerfiveparaprepositiontoevitarverbavoidinfinitiveeldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitetráfico4nountrafficmasc. · sing.:a3prepositiontoquien3pronounwhoevermadruga2verbgets up earlymadrugar · present · 3rd sing.,Dios1nounGodle3object pronounhimél · 3rd sing. · indirect objectayuda1verbhelpsayudar · present · 3rd sing..
- a → ayuda: frozen proverb
- le → quien: le doubles a quien
- Dios → ayuda: Dios: subject of ayuda
- para → evitar: para + infinitive: purpose
Word for word: “…to whoever gets up early, God helps him.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda = the early bird catches the worm (lit. God helps the one who gets up early).
- 2madrugar = to get up very early. The proverb is natural, a little old-fashioned; fine with family and friends.
- 3Fronted a quien… is doubled by le. ayudar normally takes lo / la; the proverb keeps the old le. Topicalisation, clitic doubling and lo as an attribute →
- 4tráfico = road traffic (Argentina: tránsito).
Variations
- Salgo a las cinco para evitar el tráfico: al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda.
- Me levanto a las cinco: a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.
- Salgo a las cinco para evitar el tránsito: a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.