to make a fool of...

Hola amigos!

How do you say things like:

1. she made a fool of him.

2. he made a fool of himself.

3. you are making a fool of me.

4. you are playing me for a fool.

5. I am a fool for you.

6. You are a fool for believing that.

Are these phrases all based on "hacer un tonto"?

Saludos a todos!

hi, pal!

I'd say...

1. lo hizo quedar como un tonto/ en ridículo.
2. quedó como un tonto.
3. me estás haciendo quedar en ridículo.
4. me estás tomando por tonto (creés que soy un tonto).
5. por vos hago tonterías/ me tenés atontado.
6. sos un tonto/una tonta si creés eso/ al creer eso.

(I'm sure other forum members will have different versions, esp. "tú" instead of "vos"...)

hope to have helped. ;)

Since I don't speak "vos" I'll have to modify some of them a little.:D

Thanks Laura!!

you could very well start learning to speak "vos"... aren't you ever going to visit us Argentinians? hahaha...

Well, I'm a slow learner. I'm just now getting comfortable with "tu":eek: . But you make a good point. I certainly want to visit La Argentina so I should speak your language.:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vicente

1. she made a fool of him. Le hizo quedar como un idiota.

2. he made a fool of himself. Quedó en ridículo.

3. you are making a fool of me. Me estás dejando fatal/ en ridículo.

4. you are playing me for a fool. ¿Te crees que soy idiota?

5. I am a fool for you. Soy un imbécil para ti.

6. You are a fool for believing that.Eres tonto si te crees esto.

Are these phrases all based on "hacer el tonto"?

Saludos a todos!

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Hola Vicente no se te ve el pelo....;)

good job, Exx! you "españolizaste" the phrases! haha.

I wonder, however, about number 5. Vicente, I'll need your clarification. I took "I am a fool for you" as a sort of confession of someone's own weakness for the other person... Exx, on the other hand, took it as a quite resentful reproach to the other person for taking the speaker for a fool... what's the exact meaning of the phrase?

Quote:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by lauracipolla

good job, Exx! you "españolizaste" the phrases! haha.

I wonder, however, about number 5. Vicente, I'll need your clarification. I took "I am a fool for you" as a sort of confession of someone's own weakness for the other person... Exx, on the other hand, took it as a quite resentful reproach to the other person for taking the speaker for a fool... what's the exact meaning of the phrase?

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Thanks Exx!! I've been around. I just haven't caused any trouble lately.:D

Laura:

#5. I am a fool for you means that I am crazy about you, will do anything for you, will make a fool of myself for you, etc.

#4. you are playing me for a fool. ¿Te crees que soy idiota? is good but does not capture the meaning by putting it in a question form. It is a statement that you are trying to manipulate me into believing something, generally erroneous or dishonest...like in a con game. It is very similar to #3. you are making a fool of me. Me estás dejando fatal/ en ridículo but different in that in playing me for a fool you are attempting something that I have not fallen for and in making a fool of me you are doing something overt that makes me look foolish.

I'd like to add one more:

7. He's making a fool of himself.

thanks for clarifying, vicente. #5 would then be "Por ti hago tonterías/ estoy quedando como un tonto/ Me vuelves loco/ Me haces quedar como un tonto." (see that I'm using the "tú", just for you!)

#7... "Se está haciendo el tonto./ Está quedando como un tonto/en ridículo." For some reason, these phrases don't sound natural to me... I'd just say "¡Qué tonto!" (or some stronger adjective, of course)... but I know the idea is not complete.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lauracipolla

Se está haciendo el tonto./

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no puedo creer que en tu tierra signifique una cosa tan diferente a la mía.

Se hace el tonto: he is trying to make believe his is a fool/to play dumb

Which is completely different to the sentence given.

Quote:

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7. He's making a fool of himself.

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Se está comportando como un idiota./Está quedando como un imbécil

Quote:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by lauracipolla

thanks for clarifying, vicente. #5 would then be "Por ti hago tonterías/ estoy quedando como un tonto/ Me vuelves loco/ Me haces quedar como un tonto." (see that I'm using the "tú", just for you!)

#7... "Se está haciendo el tonto./ Está quedando como un tonto/en ridículo." For some reason, these phrases don't sound natural to me... I'd just say "¡Qué tonto!" (or some stronger adjective, of course)... but I know the idea is not complete.

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If they don't sound natural to you then they are probably not right. A native speaker knows.

Thanks for the effort. :) I asked about these because I suspected they would be difficult to translate into Spanish with the exact meaning.

6. YOU ARE A FOOL FOR BELIEVING THAT.

"Sos un tonto por crees eso."

Pero, ¿qué poco natural que suena en español, no?

Fabianea: argentin@? creo q lo que pasa es que acá ya hemos pasado a insultos directamente... "tonto" casi no la usamos y por eso no suena natural... :D

Hola Laura,

Sí, argentino.

"You are such a fool for believing that"

Mi objeción no es el adjetivo "tonto" sino la sintáxis oracional.

Yo hubiese dicho:
¿Cómo creíste eso? ¡Que tonto!
¿Te creíste eso? ¡Que tonto!
Si te creíste eso sos un tonto.

Sin embargo, sé que el énfasis cambia. ¿Alguna otra opción?

Saludos,

Fabianea

hmmm... otra opción? partida, como sugerís, pero sin tanto énfasis:
"Sos un tonto... ¿Cómo podés/ pudiste creer eso?" (suena casi resignado, no?)