¡Ni hablar!
There are certain little words that crop up in everyday speech that can add just the right spice to our conversation. One of these words is ni, and it is used in all sorts of situations and colorful phrases. Take ni modo, for example. This phrase is used all the time to communicate the fact that something can not be changed. If I were to get caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do, like eating two large pizzas while hidden in the closet, my older brother might give me a smirk and say: “Ni modo, manito, ahora te va a tocar”. (“No doubt about it, little brother, you’re gonna get it!”) Or suppose I lost an election; I’d have to say “Ni modo. Así es la vida” (“Oh well, that’s life”), assuming, of course, that I believe in democracy.
A very similar phrase is “¡Ni hablar!”, which means that there is nothing more to be said about a matter. In the case of the missing pizzas, I could use the phrase like this: “¡Ni hablar! Me cacharon…” This verb, by the way, cachar, is of English origin (“catch”), but it does now appear in the official royal academic dictionary (DRAE). The “proper” verb would be pillar o sorprender. Another expressive way of using the word ni is before an adjective or an adjetival phrase: “Ni loco subiría al Popo”, meaning that even if I were crazy I wouldn’t climb the Popo volcano. Or how about this: “Ni muerto de hambre aceptaría ese trabajo" It would have to be a pretty terrible job if one could refuse it on an empty stomach. If I really disliked someone and didn’t want to go out with that person, I might comment “Ni con chochos saldría con él (or ella)” (“Nothing on Earth could make me go out with him [or her]).”
Chochos are small pieces of candy or the sugary tablets associated with homeopathic medicine. The idea behind the phrase, however, is that even if one were drugged, he or she wouldn’t do whatever it is they don’t want to. Let’s take another example: if someone wanted us to give money to a certain cause with which we don’t sympathize, or if this person continually asks us for money, we would politely refuse only to comment later on to a friend: “Ni que fuera tan rico…” (“As if I were loaded with money…”) On this same level imagine a girl who goes prancing around as if she were the cat’s pajamas; her critics would undoubtedly come out with something like “Ni que fuera tan bonita…”
An idiom much used in Mexico is the famous Ni maiz paloma. One should note that there is no accent on “maiz”, and it is pronounced as a one-syllable word (the proper spelling and pronunciation of “maíz” is with an accent on the “i” and in two syllables). This ni maiz paloma is used as “No way!” or “No way, José!” in English.
Another good idiomatic expression with ni is “Ni tanto que queme al santo, ni tan poco que no lo alumbre.” One uses this saying when trying to impress someone with the fact that they should use moderation: don’t light a candle so tall that the Saint gets burned, nor so short that no one can see him. That’s the literal translation. We might say in the vernacular “Take a middle-of-the-road approach.” Ni can also be used before a verb: “Ni creas que te voy a comprar esa pelota” (“Don’t even think I’m going to buy you that ball”). And if we are extremely upset with someone, before our partner in conversation even said his or name, we would open our eyes wide with indignation and shout “Ni menciones a ese tal por cual”, which means — more or less — “Don’t even mention the bum’s name”. The phrase tal por cual, which I have translated as “bum”, is actually a good bit stronger in Spanish; the true English equivalent, equally as strong, also starts with a “b” and ends in “astard” or “itch.” There is a similar phrase, tal para cual, but it is only similar in structure and shouldn’t be confused with tal por cual. We use the latter when wanting to express that two things, usually people, are of the same condition. If Julio, for example, is dishonest and we find out he is going to marry Julieta, who also has a dubious reputation in this area, we would naturally exclaim “¡Tal para cual!” (“They were made for each other!”) And if we go off a little further on this “tal” tangent, we could talk about the handy phrase “de tal palo tal astilla,” meaning literally “from such a stick, such a splinter,” or as the native English idiom puts it: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Yet the most common use of ni is in the “neither-nor” kind of sentences: Neither cats nor dogs can take the place of children would translate into “Ni los perros ni los gatos pueden ocupar el lugar de los niños”. But I guess it all depends on what particular animals and what particular children we are talking about. “Not even” translates as “Ni siquiera,” and “Not for anything in the world” comes out as “Ni por nada del mundo”, as in “Ni por nada del mundo haría lo que tú me pides” (Not for anything in the world would I do what you ask of me.)
So, ni hablar. This little word really does come in handy. Use it, but remember: Ni tanto que queme al santo, ni tan poco que no lo alumbre.
If you would like to know more about any idiomatic expressions you may have heard, or about any
Spanish-language difficulties, feel free to contact me at sandrocohen@gmail.com
|
