Current Events > Anyone here speak spanish? Need a translation

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I want to tell my folks about the book "outwitting the devil" but google translate says "decirle al diablo" which means "telling the devil" how the heck do you say "outwitting or outthinking" in spanish?

Cuidado
Piso Diablo

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I figured it out! Outwit = ser mas listo que

El outwito el devilo

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La sopa est muy caliente

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The New World Spanish dictionary (a very respected book) does have an entry for outwit:

ganar en astucia, ser ms listo que

astucia means astuteness, so the first translation is "to be more astute than," while the second translation is "to be more clever or quick." Your translation is acceptable, just remember the acute accent above the a,

outwitting the devil -> ganerle en astucia al diablo

TrollTrace posted...

I figured it out! Outwit = ser mas listo que

To be more ready than.

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yeah, "to be more ready than" doesn't exactly sound like outwit

i wouldn't be able to think of a proper translation for it. i've never personally heard "ganar en astucia", it sounds like a very rare and strange word to use. if anything, i'd just go for something like "outsmarting", like "engaar el diablo" or something similar.

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Sariana21 posted...

To be more ready than.

lol that's what i thought but also

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/listo#Spanish

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ms listo que el hambre

1. (idiomatic) smart as a whip

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xue1 posted...

The New World Spanish dictionary (a very respected book) does have an entry for outwit:

ganar en astucia, ser ms listo que

astucia means astuteness, so the first translation is "to be more astute than," while the second translation is "to be more clever or quick." Your translation is acceptable, just remember the acute accent above the a,

outwitting the devil -> ganerle en astucia al diablo

Thank you!

Ganarle en astucia al diablo and como ser mas listo que el diablo are both the perfect translation. Spanish does not have a word for "wit" but i suppose something like "como ser mas pillo que el diablo" would be the argentine equivalent i was looking for to explain the name of the book to my parents.

Sariana21 posted...

To be more ready than.

Too literal of a translation. Listo means "quick in thinking ability."

TrollTrace posted...

Listo means "quick in thinking ability."

i wouldn't translate it that way. listo just means to be ready or prepared.

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Estar listo = to be ready

Ser listo = to be clever

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Would it not be easier to buy the book for them, and send it to them?

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Guerrilla Soldier posted...

yeah, "to be more ready than" doesn't exactly sound like outwit

i wouldn't be able to think of a proper translation for it. i've never personally heard "ganar en astucia", it sounds like a very rare and strange word to use. if anything, i'd just go for something like "outsmarting", like "engaar el diablo" or something similar.

Engaar al diablo = deceiving the devil

Engaar means to lie to/deceive, not to outsmart.

Ganar en astucia and ser mas listo make the intellectual reference you need to hit the same vibe as a word like outwit/be more clever than create.

Guerrilla Soldier posted...

i wouldn't translate it that way. listo just means to be ready or prepared.

You should translate this way because it is used to indicate cleverness in spanish very commonly. We learned something new today.