Tener buena mano

KYRIOS

KYRIOS

Senior Member
Cartagena - Spain
Spanish - Spain
En español (España) decimos que alguien "tiene buena mano" para expresar la idea de que una persona pinta o dibuja muy bien. ¿Existe algún idiom para expresar esto en inglés? Me refiero a algo similar al idiom "green thumbs" (que se usa para expresar que se tiene buena mano con las plantas).

Gracias, de antemano, por vuestra ayuda.
 
    • I agree with Fenix. If we said "she has a good hand," it could be confusing because we would usually think of a hand of playing cards.

    Some other possibilities:
    She knows her way around a [paint]brush / pencil.
    He is very artistic.
     
    De acuerdo con los dos: Es como decir he/she is good at something
    He's a good cook
    He is good at drawing
     
    Entiendo que debe haber más de una expresión para ello; en el caso de "tener buena mano" en general (to be skilful), supongo que también es posible decir He/she is very clever with his/ her hands; y también to have got a knack/ talent for painting/ drawing, etc. Y tal vez incluso to be clever at doing sth.
     
    Lyrica_Soundbite said:
    ¿Qué tal "have a way with"?

    Have a way with
    To be good at dealing with or managing.
    Tener buena mano con, dársele bien algo a alguien.
    She has a way with children.
    Fuente: have a way with
    Click to expand...
    You could say "she has a way with an easel/with watercolors". You wouldn't say "she has a way with paint" because that could be interpreted to mean she does a good job as a house painter, not an artist.
     
    How about...?:
    1. They have a good hand with painting / in the kitchen.
    2. They are a good hand at painting / at the kitchen.
    I've seen this options searching the web but nobody mentioned them here. Are they wrong or little common?

    Thank you!
     
    Azarosa said:
    Entiendo que debe haber más de una expresión para ello; en el caso de "tener buena mano" en general (to be skillful), supongo que también es posible decir He/she is very clever with his/ her hands;:cross: y también to have got a knack/ talent for painting/ drawing,:tick: etc. Y tal vez incluso to be clever at doing sth:tick:.
    Click to expand...
    They have//They've got a knack/a gift/talent/aptitude for painting.

    I'd use many other words before clever to describe someone who paints well. Clever is a word you might use for a comedian or a writer of comics or jokes, maybe a contestant in a game show. It may be different in the UK

    SuperScuffer said:
    "Artistic streak" is one way to express this:-

    "He has an artistic streak."
    Click to expand...
    This in my experience is describes someone who has a bent for painting (really any art form). It doesn't necessarily refer to how good an artist the person is, rather to their innate capability of producing it and their enthusiasm for practicing it.

    heybach said:
    They are a good hand at painting / at the kitchen.
    Click to expand...
    They are a good hand at painting.:tick: Being a "good/great hand" at something means you are skillful or very adept at it.

    Here's an example from The Free Dictionary
    Edward will paint the portrait for us—he's a great hand at painting, you know.
    Click to expand...

    Even if you've not heard the expression, their should be no doubt in your mind what it means.
     
    Last edited:
    heybach said:
    Interesting how you consider this one right, unlike other English speakers, who consider it unidiomatic.
    Click to expand...

    I'm one of those who don't think it sounds natural. It's certainly not something I would ever say. However, I would have no trouble understanding the meaning.
     
    I should have addressed the person that comment was intended for. I know you were and are being serious, gengo. I was replying to hayback #18. He’s been a good sport.

    I’m sorry you find the expression “good hand at” so unnatural. But it’s good for the native and especially nonnative speakers to know that we have different impressions of and opinions about it.

    gengo, you’re a great hand at translation 😊
     
    Last edited:
    KYRIOS said:
    En español (España) decimos que alguien "tiene buena mano" para expresar la idea de que una persona pinta o dibuja muy bien. ¿Existe algún idiom para expresar esto en inglés? Me refiero a algo similar al idiom "green thumbs" (que se usa para expresar que se tiene buena mano con las plantas).

    Gracias, de antemano, por vuestra ayuda.
    Click to expand...
    Green fingers?
     
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