"Cualquier cama es mejor que no tener cama."
Translation:Any bed is better than not having a bed.
42 Comments
I am going to analyze this sentence but please keep in mind I am learning here too. I checked and "mejor que" is a compound preposition. When we have two verbs (first one conjugated [ser] and second one infinitive [tener]) referring to the same subject [cama] we generally need a preposition between. Normally the prepositions are 'a' or 'de' (There are exceptions verbs like poder where none are needed as you've seen in this module). The infinitive can be 'to have' or it can be 'having' depending on context. Hope it helps.
I would add "at all". I know the Spanish does not say it, but it seems a logical translation. "Any bed is better than having no bed at all."
One can certainly express the idea adequately without the "at all".
As the "at all" is an optional emphasis of the expression "no bed", perhaps there is an equivalent emphasis that could be likewise present in the Spanish, but is not. An equivalent to "nunca" versus "jamás".
Agreed. "At all" adds nothing to the meaning, so you don't need it. Many writers would say it makes the sentence wordy/redundant.
1570
At all, as you say, is not strictly necessary, but it imparts poetic emphasis to the finality of the statement. "A worm in the cabbage is better than no meat at all."
"...than having no bed at all" = "que no tener cama en absoluto" (native speaker)
- 1489
I'm not sure this is correct. Some beds might come with strings attached.
Why doesn't the program explain these verb conjugations as they did the others? Am I missing something?
Does anybody know why it is not "mejor que no tener UNA cama"? It seems like it's needed.
After tener, if you are just saying something like "I have a car" "I have a bed" you just use tener and the noun.
The only time you use a number like un/una is if you are specifying that you have ONE of those things.
I have a car = tengo coche
I have one car = tengo un coche
- 513
'Any bed is better than none (at all)' is the best translation but 'cuts no ice' here. mitcorb has a better translation than the Owl.
I put, "Any bed is better than to have no bed." That is not they way I would say it in English, but it conforms with the sentence given. DL does not agree. This is a case where there are a lot of subtle variations in English that are correct but not included in DL's approved list. Adios, corazon!
I feel so smart for getting this one right on the first try! (And for translating it without looking at the word options first!)
I think a more natural translation is “.... not having one “ . And something else regarding cualquier/cualquiera . Cualquier is used before a noun and cualquiera after a noun and have no gender as in “cualquier teléfono / casa“ and in “un teléfono /una casa cualquiera “ .
If I translate every word as such I get: "Whatever bed is better than to have no bed." Editing that translation I arrive at: "Any bed is better than not to have a bed." Looking at the fact, that in English a construction with "-ing" is used very frequently, I chose to translate "tener" as "having" >> Any bed is better than not having a bed.
I translated it as "Any bed is better to have than no bed." I don't see how that could possibly be wrong. It means essentially the same thing as "Any bed is better than not having a bed." And, after all, I translated! Word order isn't supposed to matter in translations, only meaning.
"Any bed is better than not to have one." - ??? Is it not more English then to repeat "bed"???.....
I disagree, perhaps my spine is curved well for sleeping on concrete... perhaps its a sleep condition... i don't do sides
- 111
Ha! I was surprised that Duo also accepted "any bed is better than none", but I'm glad they did.
Question to native speakers: Is this a maxim or wise saying? This is never something one would hear or read in American English. I suspect that perhaps the meaning is "Something is better than nothing (at all)". Any thoughts?
