cadena de favores
/kadena de faboɾes/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'pay it forward' is expressed in Spanish as cadena de favores.
The phrase cadena de favores describes the concept of paying a kindness forward to a third party rather than returning it to the original benefactor.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'chain of favors'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use this in a sentence, you will typically use the verb hacer (to do/make), such as hacer una cadena de favores. If you want to make the phrase plural, change the noun cadena to cadenas to get cadenas de favores.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of favores is deeply tied to the social system of 'compadrazgo', where mutual aid creates lifelong familial-like bonds between non-relatives.
- The phrase cadena de favores became globally recognized in the Spanish-speaking world largely due to the 2000 film 'Pay It Forward', which was titled Cadena de favores in Spain and Latin America.
- While 'pay it forward' is a common English idiom, using cadena de favores in Spanish often sounds more like a poetic description or a movie title than a casual suggestion.
Examples in context
- No me pagues, solo inicia una cadena de favores.Don't pay me back, just start a chain of favors.
- Creemos una cadena de favores en la comunidad.Let's create a chain of favors in the community.
- Su ayuda generó una bonita cadena de favores.Her help generated a beautiful chain of favors.
Example conversation
Javier helps María after her car breaks down in the rain.
- JavierNo te preocupes por el dinero, María.Don't worry about the money, María.
- María¿Cómo quieres que te lo devuelva?How do you want me to pay you back?
- JavierSolo inicia una cadena de favores con alguien más.Just pay it forward with someone else.
- MaríaGracias, Javier, lo haré con gusto.Thanks, Javier, I will do it gladly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
