cierra las piernas
/θjera las pjeɾnas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "close your legs" is translated into Spanish as cierra las piernas.
How do you pronounce it?
/θjera las pjeɾnas/
Did you know?
- The word pierna is actually quite ancient, stemming from the Latin 'pera', which originally referred to a 'boot' or a type of protective covering.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, telling someone to 'close your legs' can be a highly aggressive or sexually suggestive insult rather than a simple anatomical instruction.
- In a medical or professional context, a Spanish speaker would likely avoid the command cierra las piernas and instead use the more formal junte las piernas, which means 'join your legs'.
Examples in context
- Amigo, ¡cierra las piernas! Estás ocupando demasiado espacio.Friend, close your legs! You're taking up too much space.
- Cierra las piernas para sentarte mejor.Close your legs to sit better.
Example conversation
A mother is correcting her son's posture on the sofa.
- LucíaJavier, cierra las piernas.Javier, close your legs.
- Javier¿Por qué, mamá?Why, mom?
- LucíaEs una cuestión de educación.It is a matter of politeness.
- JavierEstá bien, ya lo hice.Okay, I already did it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
