Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
na guara!
English translation:
See explanation
Added to glossary by
Yaotl Altan
Apr 12, 2007 22:22
17 yrs ago
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Spanish term
United States
AUTOMOTIVE -MEDICAL -CONTRACTS -OIL&GAS
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
, Spanish (Variant: Latin American)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, English, and 9 more.
na guara!
Spanish to English
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
expression used in Venezuela
I would like to know more about the origin of this expression.
Thank you,
Cesar
Thank you,
Cesar
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | See explanation |
Yaotl Altan
|
| 4 | expression of surprise |
Margarita M. Martínez
|
Proposed translations
10 mins
Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Mexico
Native in Spanish
Mexico
Mexican translator proofreader +20 years
Native in: Spanish 
, Italian
Works in: English to Spanish, Italian to Spanish, French to Spanish, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
Selected
See explanation
The real expression is "Na guará" ant i comes from the Venezuelan Midwestern state of Lara. It was used by th natives some centuries ago and nowaays it's used to express astonishment.
"Na guará....Look at that car!"
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Note added at 12 mins (2007-04-12 22:35:32 GMT)
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A: He ran the marathon twice this month
B: Na guará!!
So it could be translated with more than 2 expressions according to the context.
- Holly fuck!
- wow!
- Oh my God!
Na guará is a little bit informal, just like a "wow", not too formal and neither too slang as "Holly fuck!" or "Holly crap!" which I've heard in Southern US
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Note added at 25 mins (2007-04-12 22:48:06 GMT) Post-grading
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http://www.huascarbarradas.com/reviews5.htm
Luego de ese impresionante desfile, que transcurrió escoltado por los más efusivos aplausos, apareció Maracaibo en todo su esplendor: se adueñaron del escenario las aclamadas figuras de Ricardo Cepeda, Betulio Medina y Negrito Borjas. Na guará! Y con las gaitas de esos astros rutilantes, el Teatro Teresa Carreño se encendió con llama inextinguible, porque el público, caletrero del repertorio de esas tres egregias estrellas, coreó hasta el infinito los estribillos de sus éxitos más aclamados.
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Note added at 31 mins (2007-04-12 22:54:24 GMT) Post-grading
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Simpre a tu orden, colega.
"Na guará....Look at that car!"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2007-04-12 22:35:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
A: He ran the marathon twice this month
B: Na guará!!
So it could be translated with more than 2 expressions according to the context.
- Holly fuck!
- wow!
- Oh my God!
Na guará is a little bit informal, just like a "wow", not too formal and neither too slang as "Holly fuck!" or "Holly crap!" which I've heard in Southern US
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2007-04-12 22:48:06 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.huascarbarradas.com/reviews5.htm
Luego de ese impresionante desfile, que transcurrió escoltado por los más efusivos aplausos, apareció Maracaibo en todo su esplendor: se adueñaron del escenario las aclamadas figuras de Ricardo Cepeda, Betulio Medina y Negrito Borjas. Na guará! Y con las gaitas de esos astros rutilantes, el Teatro Teresa Carreño se encendió con llama inextinguible, porque el público, caletrero del repertorio de esas tres egregias estrellas, coreó hasta el infinito los estribillos de sus éxitos más aclamados.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2007-04-12 22:54:24 GMT) Post-grading
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Simpre a tu orden, colega.
Note from asker:
| Thank you Yaotl! |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Yaotl!"
10 mins
Margarita M. Martínez
Native in Spanish
Works in field
Excellence in Spanish and editing
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, French to Spanish, Spanish, and 5 more.
expression of surprise
El origen es venezolano. Más concretamente del "mero centro" de Venezuela, de Barquisimeto, Estado Lara.
Es una expresión que sirve para todo. Implica sorpresa (buena o mala) y se utiliza para absolutamente todo y cualquier cosa sin tener un verdadero significado específico. (Muy útil y fácil de usar. Es muy pegajosa por cierto).
:P
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Note added at 20 mins (2007-04-12 22:43:38 GMT) Post-grading
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Na guará, se me olvidó el acento nada más. (En este caso yo diría que es equivalente a "¡fíjate qué detalle!")
Na guará, y ahora nos quieren subir el precio de xxx (enfatiza, equiivale a un "y encima de todo, ahora ...)
Na guará ¿oíste lo que dijo? (llama la atención)
Utilícese delante o detrás de cualquier expresión. No hay forma de equivocarse. Na guará ...
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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2007-04-14 02:10:34 GMT) Post-grading
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I thought this question was closed and felt a little bit disapointed as I was investigating a little bit more about this expression.
I agree with Manuel and also with Yaolt but I "feel" it slightly different. (It is not much wisdom, Manuel, it is about living almost 40 years in Venezuela -four Venezuelan children included, with their Venezuelan friends at home most of the time; believe me it is not wisdom but "no lo mucho sino lo seguido"...).
I agree with Yoalt translation as:
- Holly fuck!
- wow!
- Oh my God!
But I would prefer to list and use them in a different order:
1) Wow (first, because it means nothing, more or less the same as 'na guará);
2) Oh my God (as a second choice, because as it can mean any and every thing, that includes Oh my God) and
3) Holly Fuck (as the last chance, as na guará means "cualquier cosa" but it is not rude at all but I would rather say it is folkloric. It's people's expression in such a way that probably everybody will kind of smile about it and probably nobody will know where it comes from o what it means.
Therefore, it is quite difficult to translate something without "meaning".
In fact, it has no description but it does have a meaning: surprise, attonishment, any UNEXPECTED (strong) emotion...
Hope this explains it a little bit more. I will try to find some "authorized" opinions or descriptions in the Internet. I would know where to look in my books in Venezuela but..., they are too far appart from me now.
Es una expresión que sirve para todo. Implica sorpresa (buena o mala) y se utiliza para absolutamente todo y cualquier cosa sin tener un verdadero significado específico. (Muy útil y fácil de usar. Es muy pegajosa por cierto).
:P
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2007-04-12 22:43:38 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Na guará, se me olvidó el acento nada más. (En este caso yo diría que es equivalente a "¡fíjate qué detalle!")
Na guará, y ahora nos quieren subir el precio de xxx (enfatiza, equiivale a un "y encima de todo, ahora ...)
Na guará ¿oíste lo que dijo? (llama la atención)
Utilícese delante o detrás de cualquier expresión. No hay forma de equivocarse. Na guará ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2007-04-14 02:10:34 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
I thought this question was closed and felt a little bit disapointed as I was investigating a little bit more about this expression.
I agree with Manuel and also with Yaolt but I "feel" it slightly different. (It is not much wisdom, Manuel, it is about living almost 40 years in Venezuela -four Venezuelan children included, with their Venezuelan friends at home most of the time; believe me it is not wisdom but "no lo mucho sino lo seguido"...).
I agree with Yoalt translation as:
- Holly fuck!
- wow!
- Oh my God!
But I would prefer to list and use them in a different order:
1) Wow (first, because it means nothing, more or less the same as 'na guará);
2) Oh my God (as a second choice, because as it can mean any and every thing, that includes Oh my God) and
3) Holly Fuck (as the last chance, as na guará means "cualquier cosa" but it is not rude at all but I would rather say it is folkloric. It's people's expression in such a way that probably everybody will kind of smile about it and probably nobody will know where it comes from o what it means.
Therefore, it is quite difficult to translate something without "meaning".
In fact, it has no description but it does have a meaning: surprise, attonishment, any UNEXPECTED (strong) emotion...
Hope this explains it a little bit more. I will try to find some "authorized" opinions or descriptions in the Internet. I would know where to look in my books in Venezuela but..., they are too far appart from me now.
Note from asker:
| Gracias Margarita! My daughters are from Venezuela and I hear that expression constantly - it is indeed "sticky"! But it must have evolved from original native words (?) |
Discussion
guaro: (1) loro pequeño y muy hablador, propio de América del Sur;
(2) tonto, necio, poco malicioso; (3) poco sensato y que habla sin parar
Saludos.
Manuel
Espero que esto te sea de utilidad.
Manuel
It is colloquial, but never vulgar.
I am impressed by the knowledge of Venezuelan colloquialisms and localisms shown by our colleagues.
Both answers are good and correct; I just wanted to add that the original expression is “una guará”, shortened to “’na guará”.