pender de un hilo: meaning & examples

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Language: Spanish

Meanings:

  • 1.

    General Spanishneutralliteral
    • To be suspended from a single thread or a very thin support, literally hanging by a thread.

    Examples

    Beta

    • El colgante de la lámpara pender de un hilo muy fino, parece que se va a caer en cualquier momento.

      The lamp pendant is hanging by a very thin thread; it looks like it could fall at any moment.

    • Vi que el cuadro en la pared pende de un hilo y decidí colgarlo mejor para que no se cayera.

      I saw that the painting on the wall was suspended by a thread, so I decided to hang it better to prevent it from falling.

    • Durante la tormenta, la rama del árbol pendía de un hilo y finalmente se rompió.

      During the storm, the tree branch was hanging by a thread and eventually broke.

    • El reloj antiguo pende de un hilo en la sala y hay que tener cuidado al pasar.

      The antique clock hangs by a thread in the living room, and one has to be careful when passing by.

  • 2.

    General Spanishneutralfigurative
    • To be in a precarious, unstable, or uncertain situation in which the outcome depends on small or fragile factors; to be at serious risk of failing or collapsing.

    Examples

    Beta

    • Con las deudas que tiene la empresa, su futuro pende de un hilo; cualquier error puede ser fatal.

      With the debts the company has, its future hangs by a thread; any mistake could be fatal.

    • El estado de salud de Ana pende de un hilo desde el accidente, y los médicos están haciendo todo lo posible.

      Ana's health hangs by a thread since the accident, and the doctors are doing everything possible.

    • Si no conseguimos ese contrato, nuestro proyecto pende de un hilo y probablemente no saldrá adelante.

      If we don't get that contract, our project hangs by a thread and probably won't go forward.

Examples:

  • ES: En Osaka, sentirse "ahorashi" significa "pender de un hilo".
    EN: In Osaka dialect, feeling 'ahorashi' means you're barely hanging on.
  • ES: Hablando de pender de un hilo.
    EN: Talk about holding on by a thread.
  • ES: El futuro de HankMed podría pender de un hilo.
    EN: The future of hank med could hang in the balance.
  • ES: Hicieron pender de un hilo a Palmer, para que confesara, pero no lo consigueron.
    EN: They held Ralph Palmer to the wire, trying to get a confession, but they didn't.
  • ES: Mi caso puede pender de un hilo.
    EN: My case may hang in the balance.
  • ES: Porque un banderín puede pender de un hilo.
    EN: 'Cause a pennant may hang in the balance.
  • ES: Creo que no puedo ofrecer una opinión justa porque mi carrera podría pender de un hilo.
    EN: I don't think I can fairly offer an opinion, because my career could hang in the balance.

Related Idioms

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Sourced from Wiktionary

Source: Wiktionary

pender de un hilo | Idiomator