no tienes sentido
/no tjenes sentido/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you make no sense" is translated into Spanish as no tienes sentido.
This phrase is used to tell someone that what they are saying is illogical or impossible to understand.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, no tienes sentido translates to "you have no sense".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "it makes no sense" (referring to a situation or a statement rather than a person), use the third-person singular form no tiene sentido.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying haces sentido.
Did you know?
- In English, 'sense' can refer to logic, but in Spanish, sentido can also mean 'direction' or 'meaning' in a physical way, such as the direction of a street.
- In Spanish, the word sentido is derived from sentir, which means 'to feel'. This links the concept of logical sense to the physical senses and emotional feeling.
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, if someone says no tiene sentido, they might actually be referring to a lack of 'purpose' or 'aim' rather than just a lack of logic.
Examples in context
- Profesor, con todo respeto, sus argumentos no tienen sentido lógico.Professor, with all due respect, your arguments make no logical sense.
- ¡No entiendo ni papa de lo que dices! Estás hablando tonterías.I don't understand a word of what you're saying! You're talking nonsense.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are arguing about a confusing plan.
- ElenaNo entiendo tu plan, Alejandro.I don't understand your plan, Alejandro.
- AlejandroEs simple, solo debemos ir mañana.It's simple, we just have to go tomorrow.
- Elena¡No tienes sentido! Dijiste que era imposible.You make no sense! You said it was impossible.
- AlejandroTienes razón, me equivoqué.You're right, I was wrong.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
