# salir por las buenas



## estaceli

Hola! I'm translating a new article and I was wondering how others might translate the sentence: *“Los dictadores nunca salen por las buenas.” Salir por las buenas* to me means to get along well with s.o. or to turn out well. In the context below, does the translation "Dictators never turn out well" sound correct?

“Pedro” reconoce que sacar Ortega del poder va ser difícil. *“Los dictadores nunca salen por las buenas.”* Volver a la normalidad, con o sin Ortega, también resultará casi imposible. Por un lado, será difícil controlar esas bandas paramilitares que han disfrutado del poder de la violencia con una impunidad total. No será la Policía que les pondrá orden. 

Gracias in advance for your help and advice!!


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## michelmontescuba

"por las buenas" significa "voluntariamente", sin necesidad de recurrir a la fuerza.

Willingly, of their own free will, of their own volition.


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## muhn

Dictators have never relinquish willingly
Dictators rarely voluntarily step down.
Dictators do not voluntarily relinquish his power.
Dictators refuse to give up his power voluntarily.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

- Dictators rarely leave power straightaway.
- Dictators rarely leave power all of a sudden.

- Dictators rarely leave power just like that.
- Dictators rarely leave power willy-nilly.



I agree with michel montescuba's versions. I was also thinking of 'willingly'.


'Por las buenas' is a colloquial expression that means 'straightaway', 'immediately'.

But it also connotes both 'unexpectedly' and 'easily', as it is sometimes used interchangeably with 'de buenas a primeras'.

In that sense, I would say 'straightaway', or 'all of a sudden', or, in a more colloquial sense, 'just like that', or 'willy-nilly'.


*(*) DLE
- Bueno 
- Por las buenas o por las malas*
1. loc. adv. Voluntariamente o a la fuerza.

*(*) DLE
- De buenas a primeras*
2. loc. adv. De manera inesperada.

bueno, buena | Diccionario de la lengua española





muhn said:


> Dictators have never relinquish*ed* willingly
> Dictators rarely voluntarily step down.
> Dictators do not voluntarily relinquish his power.
> Dictators refuse to give up *their* power voluntarily.




Quite good options.


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## Marsianitoh

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> - Dictators rarely leave power straightaway.
> - Dictators rarely leave power all of a suddenly.
> 
> - Dictators rarely leave power just like that.
> - Dictators rarely leave power willy-nilly.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with michel montescuba's versions. I was also thinking of 'willingly'.
> 
> 
> 'Por las buenas' is a colloquial expression that means 'straightaway', 'immediately'.
> 
> 
> *(*) DLE*
> thei
> *- Por las buenas o por las malas*
> 1. loc. adv. Voluntariamente o a la fuerza.
> 
> *(*) DLE
> - De buenas a primeras*
> 2. loc. adv. De manera inesperada.
> 
> bueno, buena | Diccionario de la lengua española[/U


" Por las buenas" is not a colloquial expression that means "straightaway" or "immediately". In my opinion,  "por las buenas" can mean " peacefully" or also "without a good reason" but not "suddenly". I don't think your first two options work.


muhn said:


> Dictators have never relinquished *power *willingly
> Dictators rarely voluntarily step down.???
> Dictators do not voluntarily relinquish his *their* power.
> Dictators refuse to give up his *their* power voluntarily.


Me parece que "relinquish" es de esos verbos transitivos en los que es obligatorio utilizar un objeto directo. En la segunda opción cambiaría el orden " Dictators rarely step down voluntarily"


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## muhn

Sí, lo edite varias veces. Gracias por las correcciones.


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## Marsianitoh

muhn said:


> Sí, lo edite varias veces. Gracias por las correcciones.


Es fácil cometer errores cuando se editan los mensajes. Me pasa a menudo.


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## muhn

Marsianitoh said:


> Es fácil cometer errores cuando se editan los mensajes. Me pasa a menudo.


De acuerdo


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## Cerros de Úbeda

Marsianitoh said:


> In my opinion,  "por las buenas" can mean " peacefully" or also* "without a good reason"* but not "suddenly".




I would rather say 'without good reason' (no article), which means 'sin (mucha) razón'. That is, 'sin una / alguna razón poderosa'.

"Dictators rarely step down without good reason."

If you say it with the article, it is something different; either 'without justification' ('sin ninguna justificación'), or 'from their own point of view', 'in their own interest'; 'if it's not in their own interest'; 'si no les interesa / beneficia (a ellos mismos)'.


Or even 'for no reason' or 'for nothing':

"Dictators rarely step down for no reason / for nothing."


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## elroy

Marsianitoh said:


> Me parece que "relinquish" es de esos verbos transitivos en los que es obligatorio utilizar un objeto directo. En la segunda opción cambiaría el orden " Dictators rarely step down voluntarily"


  De acuerdo en ambas cosas.

Pero "all of a *suddenly*" no es correcto. Es efectivamente "all of a *sudden*", tal cual lo escribió Cerros. 

@Cerros de Úbeda, "leave power" no es idiomático. La colocación más común es "*give up* their power." 


muhn said:


> Dictators refuse to give up his power voluntarily.





Cerros de Úbeda said:


> - Dictators rarely leave power straightaway.
> - Dictators rarely leave power all of a sudden.
> 
> - Dictators rarely leave power just like that.
> - Dictators rarely leave power willy-nilly.


 None of these mean the same thing as "Dictators rarely give up their power voluntarily."

Also, I don't find "all of a sudden" idiomatic here: we would say "Dictators rarely give up their power *suddenly*," but again, that's a different meaning.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

elroy said:


> @Cerros de Úbeda, "leave power" no es idiomático. La colocación más común es "*give up* their power."



Not if this thread on 'Quora' is anything to go by:

Why is it African leaders don't want to leave power? - Quora




elroy said:


> - Dictators rarely leave power straightaway.
> - Dictators rarely leave power all of a sudden.
> 
> - Dictators rarely leave power just like that.
> - Dictators rarely leave power willy-nilly.
> 
> None of these mean the same thing as "Dictators rarely give up their power voluntarily."



No, I'm sorry...

They do in the UK - just maybe not in the US.




elroy said:


> Also, I don't find "all of a sudden" idiomatic here: we would say "Dictators rarely give up their power *suddenly*," but again, that's a different meaning.


Well, again, that may be the case in the US, but if you can't provide any reference, I can't see what you are hinting at...

In the UK I don't see much difference - in any case, a preference for the more formal 'all of a sudden'.


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## elroy

That thread is _not_ anything to go by, and no, they don't mean the same thing in the UK either.

"all of a sudden" is not more formal than "suddenly."  I simply don't find "all of a sudden" idiomatic here.  It's a matter of usage.


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## Harmonicus

I think "rarely" is not accurate.
The original text meaning is "never"
Maybe
Dictators never give up their power in good faith


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## elroy

Harmonicus said:


> Dictators never give up their power in good faith


 "in good faith" doesn't mean "voluntarily" either.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

elroy said:


> That thread is _not_ anything to go by, and no, they don't mean the same thing in the UK either.



Well, I rather disagree - but, anyway, that's a question of opinion...

However, if you want to argue something, maybe it would be a good idea offering some kind of external reference other than just your own personal opinion - as reliable as you no doubt may find it.


More examples:
(another one from 'Quora', the others from the press).

Why is it so difficult for African leaders to peacefully *leave power *and enjoy their retirements with their families?

What Would Happen If Trump Refused to *Leave Office?*

Putin and the Art of Stepping Down Gracefully While Keeping a Grip on Power

The Russian president may be *leaving the presidency* in 2024, but he is not about to retire.

Turkish Opposition: Erdogan Will Certainly *Leave Power*


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## boroman

La expresión _por las buenas_ es muy coloquial, casi como se habla a un niño, por eso es difícil traducirla: por el contexto.


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## Harmonicus

elroy said:


> "in good faith" doesn't mean "voluntarily" either.


I think "por las buenas" is not "voluntarily" neither
But more a sense of "with no trouble"


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## elroy

In that case, Cerros’s “just like that” fits well.


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## Harmonicus

elroy said:


> In that case, Cerros’s “just like that” fits well.


Agree


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## Marsianitoh

I think we cannot rule out the meaning of " without forcing them violently to do so".


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## Marsianitoh

elroy said:


> De acuerdo en ambas cosas.
> 
> Pero "all of a *suddenly*" no es correcto. Es efectivamente "all of a *sudden*", tal cual lo escribió Cerros.
> 
> @Cerros de Úbeda, "leave power" no es idiomático. La colocación más común es "*give up* their power."
> 
> None of these mean the same thing as "Dictators rarely give up their power voluntarily."
> 
> Also, I don't find "all of a sudden" idiomatic here: we would say "Dictators rarely give up their power *suddenly*," but again, that's a different meaning.


Ya sé que "all of a suddenly" no es correcto, pero es así como lo tenía Cerros cuando lo he citado y por eso lo he marcado en rojo. Se ve que lo ha editado mientras yo escribía mi post.


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## Magazine

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> Dictators rarely leave power all of a sudden.


No corresponde a "por las buenas".


Cerros de Úbeda said:


> Dictators rarely leave power willy-nilly.


Muy coloquial para este contexto.


Cerros de Úbeda said:


> 'Por las buenas' is a colloquial expression that means 'straightaway', 'immediately'.


Totalmente en desacuerdo. Significa : voluntariamente.


elroy said:


> None of these mean the same thing as "Dictators rarely give up their power voluntarily."





Cerros de Úbeda said:


> They do in the UK - just maybe not in the US.


They do not. I speak British English, too. And _straightaway_ or _all of a sudden_ most certainly do NOT mean "voluntarily".


elroy said:


> That thread is _not_ anything to go by, and no, they don't mean the same thing in the UK either.


Indeed, I totally agree.


elroy said:


> "in good faith" doesn't mean "voluntarily" either.


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## Magazine

Harmonicus said:


> I think "por las buenas" is not "voluntarily" neither


La expresión está *claramente* defininida en la RAE.



> por las buenas o por las malas
> 
> 
> 1. loc. adv.* Voluntariamente* o a la fuerza.





> por buenas, o por la buena, o por las buenas
> 
> 
> 1. locs. advs. De grado, *voluntariamente*.



It does not mean _just like that. 

A good translation for that expression would probably be: sin más. 

Se fue sin más..he left just like that. _


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## jilar

estaceli said:


> “Los dictadores nunca salen por las buenas.”


Otra forma de decirlo:
Los dictadores no dejan de serlo voluntariamente.

Es decir, si nadie les obliga (ejemplo, que los militares se rebelen y se pongan en su contra, vamos, como un golpe de estado) ellos no dejan el poder de forma voluntaria.


Salir aquí significa "dejar el poder/gobierno", o podrías decir abandonar.

Por las buenas = voluntariamente
Por las malas = a la fuerza, que otro(s) te obligan

Ejemplo, unos atracadores en un banco y la Policía desde fuera les dice:
Si no salís por las buenas, saldréis por las malas.

En este ejemplo " salir por las buenas " implica que los atracadores deciden entregarse a la Policía, no hay disparos por medio.

En cambio, si no lo hacen "por las buenas/ voluntariamente" lo harán presionados/obligados por los disparos de la Policía.
Disparos o cualquier otra forma de obligar a esos atracadores a finalizar tal atraco y entregarse a la Policía.


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## michelmontescuba

"amicably" should be an option.


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## Bevj

Cerros de Úbeda said:


> ....links......



Nobody is disputing that 'leave power' is a valid phrase.  The issue is whether it is a good translation of 'salir por las buenas'.
The links you quote are not meant to be  translations of the Spanish phrase.


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## gato radioso

estaceli said:


> Hola! I'm translating a new article and I was wondering how others might translate the sentence: *“Los dictadores nunca salen por las buenas.” Salir por las buenas* to me means to get along well with s.o. or to turn out well. In the context below, does the translation "Dictators never turn out well" sound correct?
> 
> “Pedro” reconoce que sacar Ortega del poder va ser difícil. *“Los dictadores nunca salen por las buenas.”* Volver a la normalidad, con o sin Ortega, también resultará casi imposible. Por un lado, será difícil controlar esas bandas paramilitares que han disfrutado del poder de la violencia con una impunidad total. No será la Policía que les pondrá orden.
> 
> Gracias in advance for your help and advice!!


Easily, peacefully, smoothly...
In case you said the opposite "por las malas" you'd mean violence, tension, riots...


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## estaceli

michelmontescuba said:


> "por las buenas" significa "voluntariamente", sin necesidad de recurrir a la fuerza.
> 
> Willingly, of their own free will, of their own volition.



I think this is the meaning I will use in my translation. "Dictators never leave willingly" seems to fit well with the tone of the article. 

Thank you all for your feedback. I do think it is important to mention that phrases like these differ depending on the speaker. In this case the speaker is Nicaraguan, so if there is anyone who is more familiar with Nicaraguan colloquialisms and use of this specific term, that would also be greatly helpful. I did notice a lot of the responses came from Spain, as well as some from the US, Chile, and Cuba. Would "por las buenas" have a different meaning elsewhere? Perhaps that's part of why some of you couldn't quite agree on the meaning? 

Bueno, lo agradezco mucho y creo que será una entrada muy útil para wordreference. Gracias!


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## Nomenclature

estaceli said:


> I think this is the meaning I will use in my translation. "Dictators never leave willingly" seems to fit well with the tone of the article.
> 
> Thank you all for your feedback. I do think it is important to mention that phrases like these differ depending on the speaker. In this case the speaker is Nicaraguan, so if there is anyone who is more familiar with Nicaraguan colloquialisms and use of this specific term, that would also be greatly helpful. I did notice a lot of the responses came from Spain, as well as some from the US, Chile, and Cuba. Would "por las buenas" have a different meaning elsewhere? Perhaps that's part of why some of you couldn't quite agree on the meaning?
> 
> Bueno, lo agradezco mucho y creo que será una entrada muy útil para wordreference. Gracias!



I think the expression is pretty well understood everywhere (though actually I’ve also heard “a las buenas” in South America) and means the same thing, the problem is that depending on context it can have different translations in English. There’s no one-size-fits-all variant. I think “voluntarily” is good here.

Hay que ganar a las buenas o a las malas = Try to win fair and square, if not, win dirty

No lo pude convencer por las buenas = I couldn’t convince him nicely (a euphemism for not using violence).


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## jilar

Nomenclature said:


> I think the expression is pretty well understood everywhere (though actually I’ve also heard “a las buenas” in South America) and means the same thing, the problem is that depending on context it can have different translations in English. There’s no one-size-fits-all variant. I think “voluntarily” is good here.


 
De motu prop(r)io.

En inglés se usa la forma latina tal cual "motu proprio"


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## michelmontescuba

Hay que ganar a las buenas o a las malas = Try to win fair and square, if not, win dirty


[/QUOTE]
...by fair means or foul.


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## Magazine

michelmontescuba said:


> Hay que ganar a las buenas o a las malas = Try to win fair and square, if not, win dirty



Michel, ¿pero esto para este contexto?


michelmontescuba said:


> "por las buenas" significa "voluntariamente", sin necesidad de recurrir a la fuerza.
> Willingly, of their own free will, of their own volition.


Me parece acertado lo que dijiste antes.

(typo)


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## sarah_

jilar said:


> De motu prop(r)io.
> 
> En inglés se usa la forma latina tal cual "motu proprio"


En español también, Jilar
motu proprio, no de motu propio


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## jilar

Interesante, yo a la gente que se lo he oído, juraría que decían: de motu propio.

O sea, conservando "motu" en latín y adaptando el "proprio" latino a como se dice la palabra en español, propio.

Supongo que de ahí la "no recomendación o considerarla inapropiada" por tratarse de una mezcla. Pero ya te digo, diría que la mayoría de personas dicen: motu propio.


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## sarah_

jilar said:


> Interesante, yo a la gente que se lo he oído, juraría que decían: de motu propio.
> 
> O sea, conservando "motu" en latín y adaptando el "proprio" latino a como se dice la palabra en español, propio.
> 
> Supongo que de ahí la "no recomendación o considerarla inapropiada" por tratarse de una mezcla. Pero ya te digo, diría que la mayoría de personas dicen: motu propio.


Sí, sí, la mayoría de la gente no lo dice bien. Un 99% probablemente  Pero , oye, por poner el enlace que no quede


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## Magazine

sarah_ said:


> Sí, sí, la mayoría de la gente no lo dice bien. Un 99% probablemente


Yo formo parte del 1 %...lo juro


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## michelmontescuba

Magazine said:


> Michel, ¿pero esto para este contexto?
> 
> Me aprece acertado lo que dijiste antes.


La que propuso la frase " try to win fair and square, if not, win dirty" fue Nomenclature, yo lo que hice fue responder a su comentario proponiendo "by fair means or foul" para el contexto propuesto por ella.


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