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Es que se me cayó

English translation: It just fell

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Es que se me cayó
English translation:It just fell
Entered by: Gabriel Aramburo Siegert

16:20 Mar 9, 2004
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Linguistics
Spanish term or phrase: Es que se me cayó
La mamá reprocha a su hijo de 6 años por quebrar un jarrón. Y el niño responde... "es que se me cayó..."
Gabriel Aramburo Siegert
Local time: 17:10
It just fell
Explanation:
"Es que se me cayó" no es igual a "I dropped it", es una cuestión cultural, aunque no existe buena equivalencia al respecto.

Pero el niño no quiere aceptar la culpa; ninguno quiere hacerlo.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-03-09 21:35:33 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Destaca la diferencia entre dos culturas, en inglés el equivalente es: \"I dropped it\", activo, la persona acepta la culpa, soltó el objeto.

En español se dice \"se me cayó\", o sea que el objeto caído tiene la culpa.

En el fondo hay que pensar: ¿Qué es lo que más le viene a la situación?

Un adulto tal vez acepte la culpa, pero el niño a lo mejor no.
Selected response from:

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 16:10
Grading comment
Buy buena tu comparación idiomática arriba. Mil gracias a ti y a todos.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +9It just fell
Henry Hinds
4 +6It just fell, mom!
George Rabel
5 +3I just dropped it
David Russi
5 +3I just dropped it; I didn't mean to break it
Elena Sgarbo (X)
5 +2It fell
Azucena Puerta-Diaz
4 +2Sorry, I dropped it.
aniles
5 +1It was an accident :(
Sol
4 +1'I just dropped it...'
Sandra Cifuentes Dowling
4I dropped it by accident/accidentally (said in an apologetic tone)
María Eugenia Wachtendorff


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Es que se me cayó
I just dropped it


Explanation:
It's just that I dropped it



David Russi
United States
Local time: 16:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Elena Sgarbo (X): Fast fingers :-))
0 min
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
13 mins
agree  Scott Horne (X)
1 hr
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
It just fell


Explanation:
"Es que se me cayó" no es igual a "I dropped it", es una cuestión cultural, aunque no existe buena equivalencia al respecto.

Pero el niño no quiere aceptar la culpa; ninguno quiere hacerlo.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-03-09 21:35:33 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Destaca la diferencia entre dos culturas, en inglés el equivalente es: \"I dropped it\", activo, la persona acepta la culpa, soltó el objeto.

En español se dice \"se me cayó\", o sea que el objeto caído tiene la culpa.

En el fondo hay que pensar: ¿Qué es lo que más le viene a la situación?

Un adulto tal vez acepte la culpa, pero el niño a lo mejor no.


    Exp.
Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 16:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 76
Grading comment
Buy buena tu comparación idiomática arriba. Mil gracias a ti y a todos.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  George Rabel: yep, I think a 6-year-old kid would use "fell" rather than "drop". Drop would be an admission of guilt
2 mins
  -> Gracias, George.
agree  gmedina
5 mins
  -> Gracias, GMedina.
agree  Sol
12 mins
  -> Gracias, Sol.
agree  blucero
17 mins
  -> Gracias, Blu.
agree  Mariana Solanet
44 mins
  -> Gracias, Mariana.
agree  Scott Horne (X)
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Scott.
agree  Paulina Gómez: Podría decirse "well, it just fell".
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Paulina.
agree  lator
3 hrs
  -> Gracias, Lator.
agree  T Crotogino
4 hrs
  -> Gracias, T. Crotogino.
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
Es que se me cayó
It just fell, mom!


Explanation:


un niño de seis años no diría:
"I am terribly sorry, my beloved mother, but unfortunalely the vase just slid from my hands and crashed on the floor.."

George Rabel
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 34

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  María Eugenia Wachtendorff: Tienes toda la razón, George. ¡Qué bueno que todavía puedas pensar como un niño! La mayoría de los hombres olvida eso...
6 mins
  -> Gracias MAW. Yo aún he crecido, ni pienso hacerlo
agree  forli: yes - it never is their fault is it?
10 mins
  -> no, it was my brother, or the dog, or the cat, or the wind
agree  Sol: "I might be getting old, but I'll never grow up" (bumper sticker)
13 mins
  ->  I am a ToysR Us kid
agree  Scott Horne (X)
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Scott
agree  Brigith Guimarães: yeah, a 6 years old would just say that with his finger in his mouth....
1 hr
  -> thanks, mom!
agree  NECTrad
6 hrs
  -> muy agradecido
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Es que se me cayó
Sorry, I dropped it.


Explanation:
or you could say, "It just slipped out of my hand"

aniles
Canada
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Antonio Castillo González: La que me gusta es la segunda opción: "It just slipped out of my hand." Aunque eso también lo decimos los adultos: "the ball just slipped out of my hands. It just happened."
42 mins
  -> Gracias Antonio.
agree  JudyK: yes, "slipped out of my hands" would be my choice
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Judy.
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Es que se me cayó
I dropped it by accident/accidentally (said in an apologetic tone)


Explanation:
"Es que" es un modo coloquial de empezar a dar una explicación cuando uno comete un error. En otro contexto, podrías usar "It's just that..." pero aquí, dicho por un niño y en esas circunstancias, te sugiero lo que indico arriba.
¡Saludos, Gabriel!
mew

María Eugenia Wachtendorff
Chile
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Es que se me cayó
I just dropped it; I didn't mean to break it


Explanation:
Espero te ayude.

Suerte Gabriel

Elena

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2004-03-09 16:34:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

IMHO, la manera más común aquí en USA de decir \"se me cayó\" es \"I dropped it\". \"I dropped it\" no implica admisión de culpa - gral.mente no es equivalente a \"lo tiré al suelo\"... es más bien \"lo dejé caer -sin querer\" :-)

Elena Sgarbo (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell
2 mins
  -> Thanks, e-rich
agree  Scott Horne (X)
1 hr
  -> Thanks Scott
agree  mittzi (X): I would use a common excuse heard in English - "it just slipped out of my hand" it sort of gives the object a life of its own and the person who dropped isn't to blame
3 hrs
  -> Gracias, mittzi, estoy de acuerdo.
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Es que se me cayó
'I just dropped it...'


Explanation:
"Just" standing for "inevitably" which could translate the Spanish expression "es que".

Sandra Cifuentes Dowling
Chile
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Scott Horne (X)
1 hr
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Es que se me cayó
It was an accident :(


Explanation:
with this face :(


Sol
United States
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 10

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  George Rabel: ; )
1 hr
  -> Gracias, George :)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
It fell


Explanation:
A six year old would not say "I just dropped it", even though it could be translated as such. My six year old would just say "It fell".

There is no exact translation for it, "es que" is very colloquial, and "se me + past tense" is a typical construction that we debate in language classes when we talk about lack of equivalence about languages.

Azucena Puerta-Diaz
Local time: 14:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): RIGHT
13 mins
agree  Ana Krämer
8 hrs
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