Comment on It's weird how we say "go to sleep" as if sleep is a place
teft@piefed.world 3 weeks agoI think that's more that tener doesn't always mean a physical thing.
As an example in spanish they use tener for age. As in "tengo 20 años" literally is "I have 20 years" but it means "I am 20"
Or ten cuidado means "take care" or "be careful". Both phrases use tener in a nonphysical sense in the same way as in english we use "to have". Like to have compassion or to have doubts.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
but it works because abstract concepts are things an individual can own.
Like “Tengo quidado” is “i own the the abstract concept of care”.
it could work in English, but it just sounds strange or poetic, like “i have hunger”
sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
I don’t think so, it’s not like you have a monopoly of hunger or sleepiness. “Tener/to have” doesn’t mean to own.
In English you can say “I have feelings” but not “I have sadness”, because they don’t consider emotions to be “things”.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
yet you can have depression?
sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
English being inconsistent, who would’ve thought.
teft@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
Quidar isn’t a Spanish word I’m familiar with but Tengo cuidado would translate to “I am careful” literally it’d be like “I have care”.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
“I am careful” would be translated as “Soy cuidadoso”
teft@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
Si no tengo cuidado, un antojo repentino puede arruinar fácilmente mi dieta.
If I'm not careful, a snack attack can easily ruin my diet.
There are many translations for different phrases.