Matar dos pajaros de un tiro
The Dutch often use the saying ‘twee vliegen in één klap slaan’ (to hit two flies with one swipe). As is the case with most sayings, it can’t be literally translated into another language. In Spanish there is a similar saying: ‘matar dos pájaros de un tiro’ which means to kill two birds with one shot.
There is certainly a similarity between the sayings but it’s the difference between them that makes them worth looking at more closely. In Spain hunting (la caza) is a popular sport. During the hunting season, you are allowed to hunt as much as you like on private land (coto privado de caza). However, there are strict rules attached to hunting. Not all animals can be hunted and you have to have a licence. As far as hunting is concerned, most Spanish people restrict themselves to the use of the saying!
Related topics
Finito
In our Spanish lessons for beginners, we often hear our course members using the word 'finito'.
El problema and la solución, a masculine/feminine problem
When someone says in Dutch ‘het fiets’ (the bicycle) or ‘de vliegtuig’ (the aeroplane), it can come across as irritating because it should be ‘de fiets’ and ‘het vliegtuig’. When you’re learning a foreign language, it is important to avoid making mistakes in the use of the definite articles.
About the b for vaca
One of the first things to learn in Spanish is the pronunciation of the alphabet, not for the sake of pronunciation but to be able to understand what is being said. Spanish doesn’t hold many mysteries for Dutch speakers but there is one exception that goes against the grain for the Dutch. That is the pronunciation of the letter ‘v’.
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