/ˈno teˈneɾ ˈbela en ˈeste enˈtjero/ lit. ‘not to have a candle at this funeral’
Spanish idiom, colloquial. This isn’t my problem, so I’m not getting involved.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Spanish speaker.
How do people use No tener vela en este entierro
?
Colloquial. Said about yourself, it means you have no part in the matter: “yo no tengo vela en este entierro”. It’s much more common as a put-down for a busybody: “¿quién te ha dado vela en este entierro?” (who asked you?), which is rude enough to save for people you know well.
Also said ¿quién te ha dado vela en este entierro?, no llevar velas en el entierro
No tener vela en este entierro
in real sentences
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Eres muy meticón. ¿Quién te ha dado vela en este entierro?
You’re so nosy. Who asked you to stick your oar in?
Tatoeba, sentence by Seael, CC BY 2.0 FR
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Tú cállate, que aquí no te ha dado nadie vela en este entierro.
You keep quiet, nobody asked for your opinion here.
Tatoeba, sentence by Seael, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does No tener vela en este entierro
come from?
We found no recorded origin or date. The picture seems to be a funeral procession, where the people taking part carry candles and anyone without one is just a bystander, but that’s a reading of the image rather than something a source states. Spanish Wiktionary lists the question form “¿quién te dio vela en este entierro?” for nosy people.
Mistakes learners make with No tener vela en este entierro
Using it to mean “I don’t care”. It’s about having no right or reason to get involved, so it fits a family argument you’re staying out of better than a TV show you find boring.
Other Spanish idioms like No tener vela en este entierro
Spot a mistake in No tener vela en este entierro
?
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