no ver tres en un burro: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  SpainLatin Americainformalcolloquial
  • Literal: not to be able to see three people on a donkey, i.e., to have difficulty seeing small or distant details.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Desde la ventana de su casa en la colina no podía ver tres en un burro, todo se veía borroso y distante.

    From the window of his house on the hill, he couldn't see three on a donkey; everything looked blurry and distant.

  • Cuando caminaba por el campo con niebla espesa, no veía tres en un burro y tropezaba con las piedras.

    When he walked through the field in thick fog, he couldn't see three on a donkey and stumbled over the stones.

  • No veremos tres en un burro en la oscuridad de esta cueva, así que mejor usemos linternas para no perdernos.

    We won't see three on a donkey in the darkness of this cave, so we'd better use flashlights to avoid getting lost.

  • Aunque llevaba gafas, con la lluvia intensa no veía tres en un burro durante el partido de fútbol.

    Even though he wore glasses, with the heavy rain he couldn't see three on a donkey during the soccer match.

• 2.

  SpainLatin Americainformalcolloquial
  • Figurative: to have very poor eyesight or to be unable to see something that should be visible; to be practically blind.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Mi abuelo ya no ve bien y dice que no ve tres en un burro, por eso siempre lleva gafas gruesas.

    My grandfather doesn't see well anymore and says he can't see three on a donkey, that's why he always wears thick glasses.

  • ¿No ves lo que está pasando? Parece que no ves tres en un burro con esas gafas tan sucias.

    Don't you see what's happening? It seems like you have very poor eyesight with those dirty glasses.

  • Después de la operación, Pedro seguía sin ver tres en un burro y necesitaba ayuda para leer el periódico.

    After the surgery, Pedro still couldn't see three on a donkey and needed help to read the newspaper.