What does it mean word for word?
The part las caderas means the hips. In Spanish, body parts are typically preceded by a definite article (las) rather than a possessive adjective (tus) when expressing ownership in a command or description.
Which one should you use?
While mueve tus caderas is grammatically understandable, mueve las caderas is the more natural way for a native speaker to express this instruction.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, Mueve las cachas is a colloquial way to say shake your hips. In Mexico, Menéate is an informal way to say shake your hips.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form mueve las caderas is the informal singular imperative used to give a command to one person. If you are commanding a group of people to shake their hips, you should use muevan las caderas instead of mueve las caderas.
Did you know?
- While mueve las caderas is a literal instruction, the Mexican term menéate comes from the verb menear, which can also describe the swaying of a tree branch or the wagging of a dog's tail.
- In some Caribbean cultures, the instruction to move the hips is often synonymous with the command to 'dance' itself, as the hip movement is the core of the rhythm.
- The word las in this phrase descends from the Latin word 'ille', which originally functioned as a demonstrative pronoun to point something out.
Examples in context
- Por favor, agite sus caderas al ritmo de la música.Please, shake your hips to the rhythm of the music.
- Vamos, mueve las caderas como solo tú sabes hacerlo.Come on, shake your hips like only you know how to do.
- ¡Sacude las caderas al ritmo de la música y diviértete!Shake your hips to the rhythm of the music and have fun!
- ¡Menéate al ritmo de la música para disfrutar de la noche mexicana!Shake your hips to the rhythm of the music and enjoy the Mexican night!
- Mueve las caderas al ritmo de la música.Shake your hips to the rhythm of the music.
- ¡Mueve las caderas con más energía!Shake your hips with more energy!
- Mueve las caderas un poco más lento.Shake your hips a little slower.
Example conversation
A dance class instructor is giving feedback to a student.
- JavierElena, mueve las caderas más suavemente.Elena, shake your hips more smoothly.
- Elena¿Así está bien, Javier?Is this okay, Javier?
- JavierSí, lo haces muy bien.Yes, you are doing it very well.
- ElenaGracias por la ayuda.Thanks for the help.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, CC BY-SA 4.0.
