obstáculo en el camino
/obstakulo en el kamino/from spelling rules
The English phrase bump in the road translates to Spanish as obstáculo en el camino.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, you may hear lomos de burro or rompe-muelles specifically to describe a speed bump.
Did you know?
- The word camino did not come from Latin but from Gaulish, a Celtic language spoken in ancient France. It was later adopted into Latin as cammīnus before becoming the Spanish word we use today.
- While 'obstáculo en el camino' refers to any metaphorical setback, if you are actually driving, you might shout about a lomo de burro, which literally means 'donkey's back'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, a speed bump is called a rompe-muelles, which translates literally to 'spring breaker'.
Examples in context
- Ten cuidado al manejar por esa calle, hay muchos baches.Be careful when driving on that street, there are a lot of bumps.
- Ese problema fue solo un obstáculo en el camino.That problem was just a bump in the road.
- No dejes que este obstáculo en el camino te detenga.Don't let this bump in the road stop you.
- Consideramos el error como un pequeño obstáculo en el camino.We considered the error as a small bump in the road.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing a minor setback at work.
- ElenaPerdimos el contrato, pero es un obstáculo en el camino.We lost the contract, but it is a bump in the road.
- JavierTienes razón, Elena, seguiremos adelante.You're right, Elena, we will move forward.
- Elena¿Estás listo para intentar algo nuevo, Javier?Are you ready to try something new, Javier?
- JavierSí, estoy listo para el siguiente paso.Yes, I am ready for the next step.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camino, el, en, obstáculo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
