Phrase · 📜 Proverbs in conversation
Te lo digo claro: al pan, pan, y al vino, vino.
I'll tell you straight: I call a spade a spade.
C2speaking franklyinformallearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Te3object pronounto youtú · 2nd sing. · indirect objectlo3object pronounitél · 3rd sing. · direct objectdigoverbI saydecir · present · 1st sing.claro4adverbplainly:al2prepositionto thea+elpan1nounbreadmasc. · sing.,pan1nounbreadmasc. · sing.,y1conjunctionandal1prepositionto thea+elvino1nounwinemasc. · sing.,vino1nounwinemasc. · sing..
- al → vino: frozen proverb
- Te → digo: te: to you
- lo → digo: lo: what I'm about to say
Word for word: “I tell you clearly: to bread, bread, and to wine, wine.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Al pan, pan, y al vino, vino = to call a spade a spade (lit. to bread, bread, and to wine, wine).
- 2Natural just before saying something blunt: it warns the listener and softens nothing.
- 3te lo digo: lo anticipates what follows. Double object pronouns (se lo) and clitic placement →
- 4claro as an adverb = clearly, plainly: hablar claro.
Variations
- Seamos claros: al pan, pan, y al vino, vino.
- Te lo digo sin rodeos: al pan, pan, y al vino, vino.
- Te lo digo sin rodeos, como es.