te enfocas
/te enfokas/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you focus" can be translated as te enfocas.
This phrase is used to tell someone to concentrate their attention on a specific task or goal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a reflexive construction where te means "yourself" and enfocas means "you focus."
Which one should you use?
While te enfocas is a common way to express this, you can also use se enfocan when you are speaking to a group of people (you all focus).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear the alternatives focalizarse or centrarse used instead of the verb for concentrating.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form te enfocas uses the tú conjugation, which is the informal singular "you" in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The English word 'focus' and the Spanish verb enfocar share a common ancestor in the Latin word focus, which originally meant 'hearth' or 'fireplace'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the verb enfocar is more commonly associated with photography and adjusting a camera lens than with mental concentration.
- If you use te enfocas to describe a person's personality, it can sometimes imply they are 'tunnel-visioned' or perhaps a bit narrow-minded in their approach.
Examples in context
- Como dice el adagio, «aquello en lo que te enfocas crece».As the saying goes, "what you focus on grows".This sentence is useful for illustrating the proverb te enfocas.Tatoeba #12983935 by Stuhr, translation #12985659 by DJ_Saidez
- Usted se concentra bien en su trabajo.You focus well on your work.
- Usted está muy enfocado en sus objetivos.You are very focused on your goals.
- Tú te concentras muy bien en tus estudios.You focus very well on your studies.
- Tú estás muy enfocado en tus hobbies.You are very focused on your hobbies.
- Si te enfocas en el estudio, aprenderás más.If you focus on your studies, you will learn more.
- Te enfocas demasiado en los detalles pequeños.You focus too much on the small details.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are studying for a difficult exam together.
- MateoNo puedo resolver este problema matemático.I can't solve this math problem.
- MaríaPasa que no te enfocas en la fórmula.It's just that you aren't focusing on the formula.
- MateoTienes razón, estoy muy distraído.You're right, I'm very distracted.
- MaríaInténtalo de nuevo con calma, Mateo.Try it again calmly, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
