Humpty Dumpty
/umbti dumbti/from spelling rules
Humpty Dumpty is the Spanish name for the English fairy tale character Humpty Dumpty.
The phrase refers to the fairy tale character.
Meaning: fairy tale character (name)
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'Humpty Dumpty' as a metaphor for something that cannot be repaired, Spanish speakers are more likely to use the phrase como un castillo de naipes (like a house of cards) to express the same idea.
- In many Spanish-speaking children's books, if the rhyme is translated, the character is sometimes referred to as el huevo meaning 'the egg' to preserve the imagery.
- Although the character is a name, Spanish speakers naturally assign it a masculine gender, referring to him as el Humpty Dumpty when using articles.
Examples in context
- Cuando uso una palabra, dijo Humpty Dumpty, significa justo lo que quiero que signifique – ni más ni menos.When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use Humpty Dumpty in a sentence.Tatoeba #661751 by darinmex, translation #535934 by WhiteKnight
- Humpty Dumpty es un personaje de cuento.Humpty Dumpty is a fairy tale character.
- ¿Te gusta la historia de Humpty Dumpty?Do you like the story of Humpty Dumpty?
Example conversation
María and Daniel are reading a children's book together.
- María¿Quién es Humpty Dumpty?Who is Humpty Dumpty?
- DanielEs un huevo que se cae del muro.He is an egg that falls off the wall.
- María¡Qué historia más triste!What a sad story!
- DanielSí, pero es un cuento clásico.Yes, but it is a classic tale.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
