puras fallas
/puɾas faʝas/from spelling rules
puras fallas is the Spanish phrase for "nothing but flaws."
This phrase is used to express frustration when a machine, a plan or a person's logic is consistently incorrect or broken. It describes a situation or object that is completely full of errors or malfunctions.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means "pure/only failures." The word puras means "pure" or "only" in this context, and fallas means "failures" or "faults."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The construction of using puras to mean "nothing but" or "only" is a colloquial way of speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
/puɾas faʝas/
Did you know?
- While fallas usually means 'failures' in this phrase, in Spain it refers to the massive wooden monuments burned during the city of Valencia's namesake festival, the Las Fallas.
- The word falla is also used in geology to describe a 'fault' line where two tectonic plates meet.
- While puras fallas describes a mistake, the word pura is used in the famous Costa Rican slogan Pura Vida, which means 'pure life'.
Examples in context
- Ese programa nuevo tiene puras fallas.That new program has nothing but flaws.
- El plan de construcción presenta puras fallas.The construction plan is full of errors.
- No compres ese coche, tiene puras fallas.Don't buy that car, it's completely full of malfunctions.
Example conversation
Alejandro is complaining about his new laptop to Elena.
- Elena¿Cómo te va con la computadora nueva, Alejandro?How is it going with the new computer, Alejandro?
- AlejandroMal, esta máquina tiene puras fallas.Badly, this machine has nothing but glitches.
- ElenaQué mala suerte, deberías devolverla.What bad luck, you should return it.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Elena, lo haré mañana.You're right, Elena, I'll do it tomorrow.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
