traicionado
/tɾaiθjonado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'thrown under the bus' can be expressed in Spanish as traicionado.
The term is used to describe the act of being betrayed by someone who sacrifices you to save themselves or to gain an advantage.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾaiθjonado/
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American regions, if someone betrays you to protect themselves, they might be accused of being un sapo, which literally means 'a toad'. In this slang context, it refers to a person who 'hops' around telling secrets or informing on others.
- The word traición is linked to the Latin 'tradere', meaning 'to hand over'. This highlights that betrayal in Spanish is conceptually rooted in the act of delivering someone into the hands of an enemy.
- If someone is being 'thrown under the bus' to cover up a mistake, a Spanish speaker might use the expression pagar los platos rotos, meaning 'to pay for the broken plates'. This suggests you are the one suffering the consequences of a mess you did not even make.
Examples in context
- Me siento traicionado por mi propio equipo.I feel betrayed by my own team.
- Él fue traicionado por su socio de negocios.He was betrayed by his business partner.
- No quiero ser traicionado para salvar tu puesto.I don't want to be betrayed to save your job.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a recent political scandal at work.
- Javier¿Sabes que el gerente fue traicionado por sus colegas?Do you know that the manager was betrayed by his colleagues?
- SofíaSí, lo dejaron solo para salvar sus propios cargos.Yes, they left him alone to save their own positions.
- JavierEs increíble cómo alguien puede ser tan traicionado.It is incredible how someone can be so betrayed.
- SofíaEn este mundo de negocios, lamentablemente ocurre a menudo.In this business world, unfortunately, it happens often.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
