promesa de meñique
/pɾomesa de meɲike/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'pinky promise' is promesa de meñique in Spanish.
promesa de meñique is used to describe the specific type of promise made by hooking pinky fingers.
Meaning: promise made by entwining pinky fingers (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word meñique literally refers to the pinky finger.
Which one should you use?
promesa de meñique is the noun used to name the promise itself. To describe the action of making such a promise, you can use the verb phrase prometer cruzando / enlazando los meñiques or the more common expression prometer con el meñique.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾomesa de meɲike/
Did you know?
- While meñique refers to the pinky finger, in certain colloquial contexts it can also be used to describe someone who is acting in a sneaky or 'small-minded' way.
- While a promesa de meñique is common among children, adults in some cultures might view the act as infantil and prefer the more formal palabra de honor, meaning 'word of honor'.
- The word promesa is derived from the Latin promittō, which originally meant 'to send forth' before it evolved to mean 'to promise'.
Examples in context
- Prometiste con tu meñique.You promised with your pinky.
Example conversation
Two siblings are making a secret deal.
- Daniel¿Lo prometes de verdad?Do you really promise?
- ElenaSí, pero quiero una promesa de meñique.Yes, but I want a pinky promise.
- DanielEstá bien, hagámosla.Okay, let's do it.
- Elena¡Hecho!Done!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, promesa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
