ser hombre
/seɾ ombɾe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "man up" is translated into Spanish as ser hombre.
Ser hombre is used to tell someone to stop acting like a child or to face a difficult situation with courage.
Meaning: to be brave or tough enough (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the expression ¡Sé un hombre de verdad! translates to "be a real man" and is a common way to say "man up".
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative form sé hombre is used when giving a direct command to someone to "man up".
How do you pronounce it?
/seɾ ombɾe/
Did you know?
- The word hombre shares an ancient root with the word 'earthling', coming from the Proto-Indo-European term *ǵʰmṓ.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, telling a man to ser hombre can be seen as an insult to his masculinity or maturity rather than just a call for courage.
- While 'man up' describes a temporary change in behavior, ser hombre uses the verb ser to describe an essential, permanent state of identity.
Examples in context
- No te quejes por todo. ¡Sé un hombre de verdad y afronta los desafíos con valentía!Don't complain about everything. Be a real man and face challenges with bravery!
- ¡No llores tanto, sé hombre!Don't cry so much, man up!
- Tienes que ser hombre y enfrentar el problema.You have to man up and face the problem.
- No seas cobarde, ¡es hora de ser hombre!Don't be a coward, it's time to man up!
Example conversation
Daniel is afraid to jump into a deep pool.
- DanielNo me atrevo a saltar, tengo miedo.I don't dare to jump, I'm scared.
- LucíaVamos, Daniel, ¡tienes que ser hombre!Come on, Daniel, you have to man up!
- DanielEstá bien, lo haré ahora mismo.Alright, I'll do it right now.
- LucíaAsí se hace, ¡salta ya!That's more like it, jump now!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hombre, ser, CC BY-SA 4.0.
