Las aparencias encanan

English translation: Can't judge a book by its cover

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	Las aparencias encanan
English translation:	Can't judge a book by its cover
Entered by:	Maria-Jose Pastor

13:56 Mar 6, 2002

Spanish to English translations [PRO]

Spanish term or phrase: Las aparencias encanan

proverb

buttkiss

Can't judge a book by its cover

Explanation:
Not literally, but an adage which conveys the same meaning.

Selected response from:

Maria-Jose Pastor
Local time: 09:12

Grading comment

Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +7

Can't judge a book by its cover

Maria-Jose Pastor

4 +5

Looks are deceiving

Fernando Feliu-Moggi

4 +4

things aren't always what they seem to be

Sheilann

4 +3

appearances are misleading

Silvia Borges

5 +2

appearances can be deceiving

Francesca Matteoda

4 +2

all that glitters is not gold

rrodri

4 +1

appearances deceive

jafroome

Appearances are/can be deceiving

rolo1234

"appearances deceive - or - may be deceiving"

Jennifer Callahan

you can be fooled by apearances

Theodore Fink

Appearances can be deceiving

Dan Newland (X)

guises are misleading

Kirk King

looks can land you in jail

Fernando Feliu-Moggi

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

appearances deceive

Explanation:
This is a common proverb/saying in English. The only word I can find for encanan is 'lock up' in Argentine Spanish. As that doesn't make a great deal of sense, try the above. Suerte!

jafroome
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:12
PRO pts in pair: 55

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

appearances are misleading

Explanation:
There must be a typo. It should read:

LAS APARIENCIAS ENGAÑAN.

Sometimes what you see is not what you get...

HTH!

Silvia Borges
United States
Local time: 09:12
Native speaker of:

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 16

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

Looks are deceiving

Explanation:
This is the phrase in English

Fernando Feliu-Moggi
United States
Local time: 07:12
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in pair: 26

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

Can't judge a book by its cover

Explanation:
Not literally, but an adage which conveys the same meaning.

Maria-Jose Pastor
Local time: 09:12
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in pair: 152

Grading comment

Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

16 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

appearances can be deceiving

Explanation:
I believe this is the correct saying in English.

Francesca Matteoda
Spain
Local time: 15:12
Native speaker of:

English

19 mins confidence:

Appearances can be deceiving

Explanation:
Native speaker - this is the idiomatic expression

Dan Newland (X)
Local time: 10:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 34

36 mins confidence:

Appearances are/can be deceiving

Explanation:
There is definitely a typographic error in the phrase "las aparencias encanan"; the correct form is "las apariencias engañan", which translates as "appearances can be deceiving". First of all, the word "aparencias" does not exist in Spanish. The correct spelling is "apariencias". Secondly, the conjugated verb "encanan" should be in the reflexive form because it comes from the reflexive infinitive "encanarse", which means "to become senseless with fear or crying" or "to become somewhat enraged" relating to children.

rolo1234

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

things aren't always what they seem to be

Explanation:
just another twist for the sake of discussion. However, if it's a saying, then I'd opt for "don't judge a book by its cover" as one of my colleagues said.

Sheilann
Spain
Local time: 15:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 886

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

all that glitters is not gold

Explanation:
If you are using proverbs, and you want to use a proverb in english this is another option, depending on the context of your phrase you would choose one or the other.

rrodri
Belgium
Local time: 15:12
PRO pts in pair: 4

1 hr confidence:

"appearances deceive - or - may be deceiving"

Explanation:

A more literary (or proverbial) option could be "you can't judge a book by its cover

Jennifer Callahan
Local time: 15:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 162

4 hrs confidence:

guises are misleading

Explanation:
Absolutamente debe estar mal escrito y debiera ser "las apariencias engañan". Guises tiene que ver con "deliberately misleading appearance" (Webster)

Kirk King

15 hrs confidence:

you can be fooled by apearances

Explanation:
tis is more colloquial while being an accurate translation.

Theodore Fink
Local time: 09:12
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 14

949 days confidence:

looks can land you in jail

Explanation:
CUIDADO, if it's a play on words, encanar is land you in jail, not deceive!!

Fernando Feliu-Moggi
United States
Local time: 07:12
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in pair: 26

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Las aparencias encanan

English translation: Can't judge a book by its cover

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English translation: Can't judge a book by its cover

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