to pick your battles

Spanish translation: priorizar

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	to pick your battles
Spanish translation:	priorizar
Entered by:	Alicia Jordá

15:15 Apr 7, 2004

English to Spanish translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

English term or phrase: to pick your battles

It's an expression which refers to not being picky and choosing only the major issues to resolve.

Is there an equivalent in Spanish?

Hinara KudoZ activity Questions: 327 (5 open) (11 without valid answers) (8 closed without grading) Answers: 95 United States
Local time: 06:20

priorizar

Explanation:
literal sería elegir las batallas, pero prefiero una traducción libre

priorizar, elegir siempre lo importante, y no dejarse llevar por impulsos

Selected response from:

Alicia Jordá
Local time: 15:20

Grading comment

Thank you! I wish I could grant points to colemh, too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

priorizar

Alicia Jordá

4 +2

ceñirse a lo verdaderamente importante

Blanca González

4 +1

ir al grano

Nema

escoger sus batallas/ sus campos de batalla

colemh

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

priorizar

Explanation:
literal sería elegir las batallas, pero prefiero una traducción libre

priorizar, elegir siempre lo importante, y no dejarse llevar por impulsos

Alicia Jordá
Local time: 15:20
Native speaker of: Spanish

Grading comment

Thank you! I wish I could grant points to colemh, too.

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

ir al grano

Explanation:
This means "go straight to the point". Could be an option.

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Note added at 10 mins (2004-04-07 15:25:50 GMT)
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To go straight to the point...

Nema
Local time: 15:20

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

ceñirse a lo verdaderamente importante

Explanation:
There are several expressions, like "quedarse con el trigo y no con la paja", "no irse por los cerros de Úbeda", meaning to stick to the main subject, "no meterse en camisas de once varas", meaning not going into a subject you don't really master, but I cannot think of any one as general as the English one. I hope these help you.

Have a nice day!

Blanca González
Local time: 15:20
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 8

35 mins confidence:

escoger sus batallas/ sus campos de batalla

Explanation:
The same phrase exists in Spanish. You can’t win them all, try to choose those that are worth fighting for.

He aprendido que hay que escoger sus batallas (en inglés se dice "pick
one's battles"), ¿entiendes lo qué quiero decir, verdad? ...
foro.univision.com/ univision/board/message?board.id=29959968841&message.id=18932&page=2

Las comunidades, no menos que los individuos, siempre son
libres de escoger sus batallas o sus campos de batalla. Bien ...
www.cubanet.org/CNews/y00/apr00/18o8.htm

Cordial Saludo

colemh
Local time: 08:20
Native speaker of:

Spanish

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