Phrase · 🧩 Idioms in everyday speech
Si vas al centro, mata dos pájaros de un tiro y pasa por el banco.
If you're going to the city centre, kill two birds with one stone and stop by the bank.
C2giving practical adviceinformalAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Siconjunctionifvasverbyou're goingir · present · 2nd sing.alprepositionto thea+elcentronountown centremasc. · sing.,mata1verbkillmatar · imperative · 2nd sing.dos1determinertwopájaros1nounbirdspájaro · masc. · pl.de1prepositionwith (of)un1determineroneuno · masc. · sing. · indefinitetiro1nounshotmasc. · sing.yconjunctionandpasa2verbdrop inpasar · imperative · 2nd sing.por3prepositionbyeldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitebanconounbankmasc. · sing..
- mata → tiro: matar dos pájaros de un tiro
- Si → vas: si + present: real condition
- pasa → banco: pasar por + place: drop by
Word for word: “If you go to the centre, kill two birds with one shot and pass by the bank.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1matar dos pájaros de un tiro = to kill two birds with one stone (lit. with one shot).
- 2mata, pasa: tú imperatives look like the third person of the present. Affirmative imperative →
- 3pasar por + place = to drop by, stop off at.
Variations
- Si vas al centro, aprovecha y pasa por el banco.
- Ya que vas al centro, mata dos pájaros de un tiro y pasa por el banco.
- Si vas al centro, mata dos pájaros de un tiro y pásate por el banco.