# ¡Cuidado, perro bravo!



## Mandragora1

I'd like to know the correct english translation to this phrase:  *¡Cuidado, Perro Bravo!
*Thank you.


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## Bevj

The normal warning on a gate or door is 'Beware of the Dog'.

Welcome to the forums


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## pocumus

Be careful, there is a dangerous dog


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## chortis

También lo he visto como "Beware of Dog"  https://www.google.com.ar/url?sa=i&...fjK7xF2ihenBT9MrBLwELjTw&ust=1418309952142410


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## Teacher Lalo

Mandragora1 said:


> I'd like to know the correct english translation to this phrase:  *¡Cuidado, Perro Bravo!*
> Thank you.



Bravo is an adjective that we use to describe a person or an animal that gets provoked quickly and is prone to violence even without being provoked or will provoke violence for no reason. Or like the Rio Bravo, the river currents are agitated, volatile, violent. So, "Beware, fierce dog!" 
I like to get the feeling across as close as possible, this one word "bravo" doesn't have a direct translation, so I think fierce, wild, or savage are close translations. I would go with fierce, for this dog thing.


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## nelliot53

How about "Beware, Attack Dog!"


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## KeisyMora93

Mandragora1 said:


> ¡Cuidado, Perro Bravo!


I would say, "Beware, mad dog"


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## Mr.Dent

A mad dog is a dog with rabies, a disease.
Take a look at the following website. They have all kinds of signs pertaining to this. Pick the one you like best.
Beware of Dog Signs, Guard Dog Signs, Funny Beware of Dog Signs


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## Teacher Lalo

KeisyMora93 said:


> I would say, "Beware, mad dog"



I like that. I found this definition too on wikitionary:

*mad dog* (plural *mad dogs*) A rabid *dog*. (figuratively, by extension) Someone who is aggressive and fanatical; an aggressor who cannot be reasoned with.

So a "mad dog" certainly is a dog that has rabies, but it can also be figurative, doesn't need to have rabies, just be aggressive and can't be reasoned with. That is a perro bravo.
And it sounds more natural, more common than "beware, fierce dog" which I had suggested too.


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## Mr.Dent

Nobody would put up a sign saying "Beware, mad dog", because of the implication that the dog is infected with rabies. It might sound like an interesting term to use, but it would be an error. Of course, we don't have any context, so conceivably under certain very limited literary circumstances it would be appropriate.


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## Teacher Lalo

Mr.Dent said:


> Nobody would put up a sign saying "Beware, mad dog", because of the implication that the dog is infected with rabies. It might sound like an interesting term to use, but it would be an error. Of course, we don't have any context, so conceivably under certain very limited literary circumstances it would be appropriate.



The internet begs to differ.... And I don't think any of those signs make reference to the dogs actually having rabies. Just to the dog being vicious, angry, crazy, mad...


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## Bevj

nelliot53 said:


> How about "Beware, Attack Dog!"


This seems to be telling the reader to attack the dog


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## Teacher Lalo

Bevj said:


> This seems to be telling the reader to attack the dog



Hahaha, well but you do have the "beware" part first. Beware= be careful. So it's telling the reader to be careful of attack dog . It doesn't say "go ahead, attack dog" or "please: attack dog"


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## Bevj

No, 'attack dog' cannot have this meaning.
_Attack_ is a verb.


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## Mr.Dent

Bevj said:


> No, 'attack dog' cannot have this meaning.
> _Attack_ is a verb.


We do use it as an adjective in the States: attack dog, attack helicopter, etc.


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## Bevj

Mr.Dent said:


> We do use it as an adjective in the States: attack dog, attack helicopter, etc.



You learn something every day!


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## User With No Name

Mr.Dent said:


> We do use it as an adjective in the States: attack dog, attack helicopter, etc.


Agreed.

But still, as others have pointed out, the normal way to express the idea is definitely "Beware of [the] dog." (If you see such a sign, you assume that the dog is question is "bravo." If it were a lovable little puppy, the sign wouldn't make sense.)


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## Mr.Dent

User With No Name said:


> Agreed.
> 
> But still, as others have pointed out, the normal way to express the idea is definitely "Beware of [the] dog." (If you see such a sign, you assume that the dog is question is "bravo." If it were a lovable little puppy, the sign wouldn't make sense.)


Agreed.


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## Bevj

So an *attack dog *would be an animal _trained_ to attack,  no?
This is not quite the same as a domestic dog protecting his owner's property.


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## User With No Name

Bevj said:


> So an *attack dog *would be an animal _trained_ to attack, no?


That's how I understand it, although Wikipedia does say that it can be a dog trained to defend property. To me, the term evokes images of a dog trained to attack criminals (or peaceful protesters) on command.

I don't think we would call the average pet dog an "attack dog," even if he's big and inclined to defend his owner's property, 

Still,


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## jilar

Teacher Lalo said:


> *mad dog* (plural *mad dogs*) A rabid *dog*. (figuratively, by extension) Someone who is aggressive and fanatical; an aggressor who cannot be reasoned with.


El uso figurado refiere a una persona exclusivamente.
Fíjate en la última línea, con quien no se puede razonar (parte de la idea de que con cualquier persona se puede razonar o tiene una mínima capacidad de razonar. Excluyendo entonces a cualquier animal, estos obedecen, o no, órdenes. Sin más. No razonan).


Sobre el tema, decir que la advertencia, al menos en español, está mal escrita.
Deben ser dos frases separadas. Por un lado el aviso de Cuidado.
Y luego la causa de tal peligro.

Si decimos:
Cuidado, Alberto.

Estamos diciéndole a ese tal Alberto que tenga cuidado.

O sin ningún nombre propio:
Cuidado, amigo.

A nuestro amigo le decimos cuidado.
No que nuestro amigo sea peligroso.


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## jilar

User With No Name said:


> Agreed.
> 
> But still, as others have pointed out, the normal way to express the idea is definitely "Beware of [the] dog." (If you see such a sign, you assume that the dog is question is "bravo." If it were a lovable little puppy, the sign wouldn't make sense.)


Muy cierto. Lo natural es avisar de la peligrosidad del perro. Ante el aviso aplicamos el sentido común.
Pero, creo que en inglés también el mensaje "beware of the dog" es ambiguo, como lo es "cuidado con el perro".
Yo he visto algún cartel de estos y ver en el jardín a un chihuahua, por poner un ejemplo de perro ¿peligroso? No creo, el aviso parece más en tono chistoso: Cuidado, si entras, no pises al perro.


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## Mr.Dent

Teacher Lalo said:


> The internet begs to differ.... And I don't think any of those signs make reference to the dogs actually having rabies. Just to the dog being vicious, angry, crazy, mad...


I stand corrected. However, I still do not like the translation  "mad dog".


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## EvanWilliams

“Beware of the dog”
I have a sign that says 
“Beware!  Vicious Dog!”


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## Magazine

Bevj said:


> The normal warning on a gate or door is 'Beware of the Dog'.


I thought that was the most common , too. 

If you have to be careful, something must be the matter...so I think this is it. 



EvanWilliams said:


> I have a sign that says
> “Beware! Vicious Dog!”


Really?   Could a _vicious_ dog not just be crazy about female dogs?


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## Teacher Lalo

User With No Name said:


> Agreed.
> 
> But still, as others have pointed out, the normal way to express the idea is definitely "Beware of [the] dog." (If you see such a sign, you assume that the dog is question is "bravo." If it were a lovable little puppy, the sign wouldn't make sense.)



Sssss just not quite sure I completely agree, bravo is quite an emphasizer, or whatever it's called, there is a clothing store in Mexico "cuidado con el perro", "Beware of the dog". But any dog, there is a 50/50 chance it will be reasonable, but if it's bravo, you know more likely than not it's freaking vicious and unreasonable and just bad-tempered.
Beware: dog
Beware: angry dog

Which one would you prefer not to encounter?

So yeah, "beware of the dog" may be the most common sign, but if we are trying to get as close as possible to the feeling, trying to lose as little as possible in translation, I would say "Beware- vicious dog" or "Beware- mad dog" as we have seen there are in fact signs that say that


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## Teacher Lalo

jilar said:


> El uso figurado refiere a una persona exclusivamente.
> Fíjate en la última línea, con quien no se puede razonar (parte de la idea de que con cualquier persona se puede razonar o tiene una mínima capacidad de razonar. Excluyendo entonces a cualquier animal, estos obedecen, o no, órdenes. Sin más. No razonan).



No de acuerdo con esto, definitivamente puedes "razonar" con los animales también, esos son los animales domésticos en general.
En ningún lado dice que se refiere a una persona exclusivamente, y como muestran los señalamientos si buscas "Beware mad dog" se puede referir a un perro


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## jilar

Teacher Lalo said:


> No de acuerdo con esto, definitivamente puedes "razonar" con los animales también, esos son los animales domésticos en general.
> En ningún lado dice que se refiere a una persona exclusivamente, y como muestran los señalamientos si buscas "Beware mad dog" se puede referir a un perro


Hay algo que no comprendes o no quieres comprender.
Mi apunte fue para el uso figurado, y empieza definiéndolo como "someone", esta palabra en inglés refiere a una persona. Como cuando en español decimos "alguien" que tenemos en mente a una persona. Si nos referimos a un animal lo indicamos, algún perro, algún gato, alguna serpiente, ... Y si no sabemos el tipo de animal diremos "algún animal" (tu casa está revuelta y por lo que ves supones que entró "algún animal", si supones que entró una persona dirás " entró alguien ").

Si tú llegas a tu casa, donde está tu familia y además tienes un perro, y dices:
¿Alguien me ayuda con la compra?
En realidad con ese "alguien" te refieres a cualquier familiar tuyo, no al perro.

El perro te podría ayudar si lo tienes entrenado, pero no esperes que entienda realmente tal pregunta y luego tomar él la decisión de ayudarte con las bolsas. Para eso esperará una instrucción por tu parte. Puede ser una palabra (que incluso no exista en ningún idioma), un sonido, un gesto (como mostrarle u ofrecerle una bolsa), ...

Si no es figurado, sí, mad dog refiere a ese animal, un perro que tiene la rabia, o rabioso. Es aquí que puedes ver tales carteles. Este no es el uso figurado.


Lo de que con un animal, por doméstico que sea, puedes razonar -sin comillas, entendiendo razonar por lo que realmente es- con él, me gustaría  verlo. Pregúntale a César Millán, a ver qué te dice.

En serio, a un perro le puedes enseñar que no muerda, o que no ladre, o que se siente cuando se acerca alguien por la calle y se pone a hablar contigo.
Pero eso no es razonar, es instruirlo. Enseñarle a comportarse así en tales casos.

Con un niño pequeño, que ya habla, puedes razonar. Por ejemplo, explicarle que no puede morder a su hermano porque le causa dolor y que si lo hace mamá y papá se enfadarán.

Eso es imposible hacerlo con un perro, por inteligente que sea, es decir, convencerlo de un comportamiento mediante la palabra exclusivamente.


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## Teacher Lalo

jilar said:


> Hay algo que no comprendes o no quieres comprender.
> Mi apunte fue para el uso figurado, y empieza definiéndolo como "someone", esta palabra en inglés refiere a una persona. Como cuando en español decimos "alguien" que tenemos en mente a una persona. Si nos referimos a un animal lo indicamos, algún perro, algún gato, alguna serpiente, ... Y si no sabemos el tipo de animal diremos "algún animal" (tu casa está revuelta y por lo que ves supones que entró "algún animal", si supones que entró una persona dirás " entró alguien ").
> 
> Si tú llegas a tu casa, donde está tu familia y además tienes un perro, y dices:
> ¿Alguien me ayuda con la compra?
> En realidad con ese "alguien" te refieres a cualquier familiar tuyo, no al perro.
> 
> El perro te podría ayudar si lo tienes entrenado, pero no esperes que entienda realmente tal pregunta y luego tomar él la decisión de ayudarte con las bolsas. Para eso esperará una instrucción por tu parte. Puede ser una palabra (que incluso no exista en ningún idioma), un sonido, un gesto (como mostrarle u ofrecerle una bolsa), ...
> 
> Si no es figurado, sí, mad dog refiere a ese animal, un perro que tiene la rabia, o rabioso. Es aquí que puedes ver tales carteles. Este no es el uso figurado.
> 
> 
> Lo de que con un animal, por doméstico que sea, puedes razonar -sin comillas, entendiendo razonar por lo que realmente es- con él, me gustaría  verlo. Pregúntale a César Millán, a ver qué te dice.
> 
> En serio, a un perro le puedes enseñar que no muerda, o que no ladre, o que se siente cuando se acerca alguien por la calle y se pone a hablar contigo.
> Pero eso no es razonar, es instruirlo. Enseñarle a comportarse así en tales casos.
> 
> Con un niño pequeño, que ya habla, puedes razonar. Por ejemplo, explicarle que no puede morder a su hermano porque le causa dolor y que si lo hace mamá y papá se enfadarán.
> 
> Eso es imposible hacerlo con un perro, por inteligente que sea, es decir, convencerlo de un comportamiento mediante la palabra exclusivamente.



Haha, amigo, tu dices que hay algo que según " no entiendo o no quiero entender", pero tú mismo pareces no entender que esos pósters de "Beware mad dog" NO se refieren literalmente a que el animal tiene rabia, es figurativo, se refiere a que el animal es bravo.

Saludos


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## LVRBC

As you can see by the pictures, signs saying "mad dog on property"  or "beware of mad dog" are meant to be both threatening and humorous.  If people do not want to accept the very first translation - Bevj's _Beware of the Dog_, which is what most signs actually say - then perhaps you will go along with Mr William's _Beware! Vicious dog!      _But I can assure you that in US-E we do not use the words _mad dog_ to refer to a fierce or angry dog.  It means a rabid dog.


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## EvanWilliams

User With No Name said:


> That's how I understand it, although Wikipedia does say that it can be a dog trained to defend property. To me, the term evokes images of a dog trained to attack criminals (or peaceful protesters) on command.
> 
> I don't think we would call the average pet dog an "attack dog," even if he's big and inclined to defend his owner's property,
> 
> Still,


I would love to see a dog trained to attack “peaceful protestors”.   Would the cops go get different dogs for the violent protestors ? 😁

A “mad dog” isn’t angry, he is crazy. He is crazy (mad) because his central nervous system has been ravaged by rabies virus.  He will progress to coma but first hallucinates and becomes aggressive.  
They would be immediately shot when I was a kid.

Attack dog is a thing but only place I’ve ever seen a sign saying so was at junkyard but even they usually just have “Beware of the Dog” signs or “Guard Dogs in Duty”

Ciao


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## Teacher Lalo

LVRBC said:


> As you can see by the pictures, signs saying "mad dog on property"  or "beware of mad dog" are meant to be both threatening and humorous.  If people do not want to accept the very first translation - Bevj's _Beware of the Dog_, which is what most signs actually say - then perhaps you will go along with Mr William's _Beware! Vicious dog!      _But I can assure you that in US-E we do not use the words _mad dog_ to refer to a fierce or angry dog.  It means a rabid dog.



I'm pretty sure those pictures are supposed to be more threatening than humorous. Like for real, watch out for the dog.

I know it's not a common sign, the "mad dog", I know "Beware of the dog" is the most common one, I lived in the US for 14 years, but I am telling you, Beware of the dog is cuidado con el perro, but Beware of the dog is not equivalent to "cuidado, perro bravo" without an extra adjective like vicious or ferocious or mad. You would lose a little something in translation.


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## nelliot53

*at·tack dog * 
_noun_

a dog trained to attack on command and kept for this purpose.


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## Teacher Lalo

nelliot53 said:


> *at·tack dog *
> _noun_
> 
> a dog trained to attack on command and kept for this purpose.
> 
> View attachment 44611
> 
> View attachment 44612
> 
> View attachment 44613
> 
> View attachment 44614




Yeah a perro bravo is usually not a trained attack dog. It's usually just a street alpha angry dog, or a home angry dog that barks and might attack anyone who doesn't live in the house it lives. A dog you couldn't try to pet or be nice to, because it's so volatile in its character.

Trained dogs can be bravos for sure, it's part of their job, but when we talk about a perro bravo, it's generally just the opposite of a friendly dog.


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## cartwheel8

Teacher Lalo said:


> The internet begs to differ.... And I don't think any of those signs make reference to the dogs actually having rabies. Just to the dog being vicious, angry, crazy, mad...
> View attachment 44468


In my mind, in American English, a sign that uses “Mad Dog” says it more in jest.  As someone mentioned above, it’s not as typical as simply, “Beware of the Dog.”  I’d take a sign that says that much more seriously than one that says “Mad Dog.”


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## jilar

A ver, yo no me complicaría mucho. La idea de calificar al perro de bravo es la de decir que es peligroso. Que por ejemplo si tú entras en la propiedad, el perro te puede llegar a atacar.
No es sólo que ladre - hay muchos que ladran, pero por miedo y por ver que, cuando ladran, los humanos no se acercan; de ahí el refrán "perro ladrador, poco mordedor" - sino que puede morder.

Por tanto, dangerous dog debería servir.


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## OtroLencho

Teacher Lalo said:


> Beware of the dog is not equivalent to "cuidado, perro bravo" without an extra adjective like vicious or ferocious or mad.


I disagree.  The use of "beware" is enough to elevate the threat level beyond just advising that there's a dog.

Jilar's use of "dangerous" has possibilities if one really wants emphasis, but "mad" is hard to take as something other than a joke.


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## Teacher Lalo

I'm just saying, I KNOW the most common dog sign is "beware of the dog", in Spanish too, most signs simply say "cuidado con el perro", but with that one "cuidado, perro bravo", you can't/shouldn't try to do away with the "bravo" part, that's how you lose part of the meaning in translation.

I'm just trying to get across what many of us think and/or feel when we hear of a person or an animal being "bravo", mean, fierce, ferocious, angry, menacing, etc. It's a lot more scary and inspires you to be extra careful than if "bravo" is not used.

So at the very least, "cuidado, perro bravo" Is equivalent to "beware, mean dog", if you wanna get as close to the meaning as possible. It's not just a dog, it's a mean dog. There may not be many signs that say that, but it's simply what would be more or less the equivalent.

Which one would strike more fear in you?
Beware, dog
Beware, mean dog


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## Mr.Dent

Mean dog is OK, but as previously discussed, mad dog is not.


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## Magazine

OtroLencho said:


> I disagree.  The use of "beware" is enough to elevate the threat level beyond just advising there's a dog.
> 
> Jilar's use of "dangerous" has possibilities if one really wants emphasis, but "mad" is hard to take as something other than a joke.


I totally agree. 

I wonder why you are so keen using "mad dog", lalo, sorry, no offence, but all native speakers have been very clear on this: mad dog is not what they say. 

Y tampoco lo sería en español, anda, dime dónde dicen "perro loco" para avisar que el perro es peligroso.


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## nelliot53

*Mad Dog 2020 *(Wine)  I would be cautious with this dog!

Is Mad Dog Good?
This is a *good* place to start for the street wine rookie, but *beware*; this *dog* *has a bite to back up its bark*. ... Nearly all low-end fortified wine has a poor reputation. The low price and high alcohol content make it the choice of people who want to get drunk quickly and cheaply.


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## Teacher Lalo

Magazine said:


> I totally agree.
> 
> I wonder why you are so keen using "mad dog", lalo, sorry, no offence, but all native speakers have been very clear on this: mad dog is not what they say.
> 
> Y tampoco lo sería en español, anda, dime dónde dicen "perro loco" para avisar que el perro es peligroso.



Bro, I'm not "so keen" on using "mad dog" in particular. I AM so keen on using some type of augmentative adjective (if that's even a word or grammatical term) to convey the feeling/meaning that it's not just any dog, it's a mean dog, angry dog, fierce dog, unreasonable dog, non-friendly dog. Not just A dog. Or person. If your friend has a friend, and he says he's bravo, you don't wanna meet him, he's probably ill-tempered and just looking for the smallest thing to go off on.

So if mean works for you, which I personally think might be the closest thing we can get to "bravo", then let's settle at that. Beware mean dog. It's not just "beware, dog"


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## Coffeemachtspass

Teacher Lalo said:


> The internet begs to differ.... And I don't think any of those signs make reference to the dogs actually having rabies.


I’m going to agree…and disagree with your conclusions.
A mad dog is most certainly one with rabies. Nevertheless, in the peculiar cultural landscape of the English-speaking tribes, the unrestrained behavior of a vicious animal is admired in some circles. In fact, you will find an abundance of songs and movie characters featuring men with the name Mad Dog.

The topic in this thread sound to me like a simple warning sign, not a glorification of viciousness, so I think that ‘Beware of Dog’ would be the closest translation without the hyperbole.


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## Teacher Lalo

So, first you say this "Nevertheless, in the peculiar cultural landscape of the English-speaking tribes, the unrestrained behavior of a vicious animal is admired in some circles. In fact, you will find an abundance of songs and movie characters featuring men with the name Mad Dog." Which kind of explains what I'm trying to explain.

Then you try to do away with it.

So, no, sorry, "beware, dog" will never be the same thing as "cuidado, perro bravo". You lost something in translation there, something very important that could have an impact on your health if you aren't made aware that an animal/person is "bravo"

A simple warning sign would be "cuidado con el perro" or "cuidado, perro".

"Bravo" is not a hyperbole/exaggeration. Bravo is letting you know well in advance, the particular volatile, irrational, violent character of this person or animal.


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## Coffeemachtspass

Si el perro no fuera de cuidado, ¿para qué avisar? Nadie pone en la puerta: “Beware of Docile, Friendly Puppy”.

En todo caso, yo comentaba el contexto del inglés.


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## Magazine

Teacher Lalo said:


> Beware mean dog


Tendría que ser beware *of*...o
Beware: mean dog.

De cualquier manera, como dicen en algún programa: hasta aquí puedo leer..., ya que tienes tu decisión tomada a pesar de que todos los participantes nativos te han intentado convencer de que esto no es lo que se dice en inglés.



Coffeemachtspass said:


> “Beware of Docile, Friendly Puppy”


    

Un saludo desde _el horno_, es decir, Madrid


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## Coffeemachtspass

Macbeth IV. i. 72:
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; beware the thane of Fife.

Merchant of Venice III. iii. 7:
“Thou call’dst me a dog, before thou hadst a cause; but, since I am a dog, beware my fangs…”

The word beware is itself a warning of danger, it demands no further qualification. Nevertheless, if you wish to continue gnawing this bone, I’ll leave you to explain to the Bard how he got it all wrong and that he ought to have written “murderous Macduff” and “invidious fangs”.


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## Teacher Lalo

Magazine said:


> Tendría que ser beware *of*...o
> Beware: mean dog.
> 
> De cualquier manera, como dicen en algún programa: hasta aquí puedo leer..., ya que tienes tu decisión tomada a pesar de que todos los participantes nativos te han intentado convencer de que esto no es lo que se dice en inglés.
> 
> 
> 
> Un saludo desde _el horno_, es decir, Madrid




Yo SÉ que no es común ponerle "Beware, mean/angry/ferocious" dog, yo viví 14 años en Estados Unidos, no soy nativo pero si viví la mitad de mi vida allá desde los 12 años, fui a la universidad allá, conozco las expresiones comunes y sé que expresiones no se usan. 

Sin embargo, como he dicho ya quien sabe cuántas veces, si uno quisiera traducir "cuidado, perro bravo", "Beware of the dog" NO está completo, le falta lo de "bravo", la traducción aproximada sería esa "Beware, mean/angry dog" AUNQUE NO SE USE COMÚNMENTE ESA EXPRESIÓN ALLÁ

saludos


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## Teacher Lalo

Coffeemachtspass said:


> Macbeth IV. i. 72:
> Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; beware the thane of Fife.
> 
> Merchant of Venice III. iii. 7:
> “Thou call’dst me a dog, before thou hadst a cause; but, since I am a dog, beware my fangs…”
> 
> The word beware is itself a warning of danger, it demands no further qualification. Nevertheless, if you wish to continue gnawing this bone, I’ll leave you to explain to the Bard how he got it all wrong and that he ought to have written “murderous Macduff” and “invidious fangs”.



I explained it already


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## Rocko!

¿Tu perro es bravo? = ¿Tu perro muerde?


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## Rocko!

Rocko! said:


> ¿Tu perro es bravo? = ¿Tu perro muerde?


De la misma manera en que un "toro bravo" es un "toro que cornea/lanza cornadas".


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## Magazine

Rocko! said:


> ¿Tu perro es bravo? = ¿Tu perro muerde?
> 
> View attachment 44687


    

Genial, esto sí que no deja lugar a dudas


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