/al meˈxoɾ kaθaˈdoɾ se le ˈba la ˈljebɾe/ lit. ‘even the best hunter lets the hare get away’
Spanish idiom, proverb. Even the most skilled people sometimes make mistakes.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Spanish speaker.
How do people use Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre
?
A proverb, used to forgive a slip by someone who normally gets it right, often yourself. It’s said as a complete sentence and doesn’t change form, though people often add “hasta” (even) in front. It’s kind rather than mocking, so you can say it to a colleague or a boss.
Also said hasta al mejor cazador se le va la liebre, al mejor cazador se le va la paloma
Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre
in real sentences
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Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre.
Even the best hunter lets the hare get away.
Tatoeba, sentence by ecorralest101, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre
come from?
English Wiktionary gives it as the Spanish equivalent of “even Homer nods”, next to a dove version and a baker version. The picture comes from hunting: a hare bolting past even an expert shot. We found no dated first use.
Mistakes learners make with Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre
Dropping the “se”. “Al mejor cazador le va la liebre” changes the meaning to something like “the hare suits the best hunter”; “se le va” is what makes the hare escape from him.
Other Spanish idioms like Al mejor cazador se le va la liebre
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