Sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.

Spanish translation: a veces las grandes cosas dependen de las pequeñas

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
Spanish translation:a veces las grandes cosas dependen de las pequeñas
Entered by: DidiFlack (X)

22:39 Nov 5, 2019
English to Spanish translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Sayings
English term or phrase: Sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
Hello,

How would you translate this expression: "Sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things".
This is how I translated:

"A veces son las pequeñas cosas las que afectan las grandes cosas".

Thank you!
DidiFlack (X)
United States
Local time: 13:45
a veces las grandes cosas dependen de las pequeñas
Explanation:
Me parece que tiene más fuerza y queda más fluido si le damos la vuelta a la frase.

También: "a veces las cosas grandes dependen de las pequeñas"
Selected response from:

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 19:45
Grading comment
Gracias Beatriz!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4A veces, las pequeñas acciones son las que cambian el mundo.
Analía Quintián
5A veces, los pequeños detalles marcan la diferencia.
Alberto Gómez Herrera
3 +1a veces las grandes cosas dependen de las pequeñas
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
3a veces las minucias son importantes
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3A veces son las cosas pequeñas las que afectan a las cosas grandes
Antonio Escalante


  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
a veces las minucias son importantes


Explanation:
https://cvc.cervantes.es/trujaman/anteriores/septiembre_02/1...

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 13:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 24
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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
A veces son las cosas pequeñas las que afectan a las cosas grandes


Explanation:
I am not sure if this is an accurate translation, but the phrase sounds more natural in Spanish with the adjetives located after the nouns.

Antonio Escalante
Spain
Local time: 19:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
A veces, las pequeñas acciones son las que cambian el mundo.


Explanation:
Hola:
Pues opino que depende un poco del contexto. En los dos ejemplos que incluyo a continuación, yo lo traduciría como “A veces, las pequeñas acciones son las que cambian el mundo/generan grandes resultados/generan grandes cambios”.

The Little Things Affect the Big Things
I always say, ’Don’t think one person can’t make a difference,’” says Kristie Disbrow, founder of Matthew’s Ministry, a non-profit organization that provides weekend food service to schoolchildren every week. “I think sometimes people see a really big problem and think, ‘I’m not getting involved. What could I do?’ The answer is, a lot. When you take a step of faith and get started, everything else falls into place.
https://www.wilsonart.com/case-study/little-things-affect-bi...

Little Things Affect Big Things: Diaper and Period Banks!
https://www.facebook.com/events/dekoven-house-community-cent...


Analía Quintián
Argentina
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mónica Algazi: Me gusta.
43 mins
  -> Gracias, Mónica!

agree  abe(L)solano: A mí también.
8 hrs
  -> Gracias, abe(L)solano!

agree  Anna Queralt
8 hrs
  -> Gracias, Anna!

agree  Juan Gil
10 hrs
  -> Gracias, Juan!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
a veces las grandes cosas dependen de las pequeñas


Explanation:
Me parece que tiene más fuerza y queda más fluido si le damos la vuelta a la frase.

También: "a veces las cosas grandes dependen de las pequeñas"

Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Spain
Local time: 19:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 328
Grading comment
Gracias Beatriz!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Víctor Zamorano
6 hrs
  -> Gracias Víctor - Bea
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
sometimes it’s the little things that affect big things.
A veces, los pequeños detalles marcan la diferencia.


Explanation:
I agree with most of my colleagues here, since their sentences for make sense to me. However, this sentence is one I've seen, read and heard in many contexts with a shorter version of what Analía Quinlián proposes. That is the one I've written above. It might depend on where does the spanish speaker come from, but I strongly believe that in Spain this sentence has been mentioned more than once and has a strong message behind it, such as the original string.
The literal translation would be "Sometimes, it's the little things the ones that make a difference." This sentence can be also found in the English language, and would reflect the closest meaning of the sentence: a little change can scale up and become a very important change that, eventually, will make a difference and change big things on its way.
Thank you very much to all users for responding and collaborating to clarify this great motto.

Example sentence(s):
  • Sometimes, it's the little things that affect big things. So keep at it, and you will get there - "A veces, los pequeños detalles marcan la diferencia. Así que sigue adelante, y lo conseguirás."

    https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/los-detalles-los-marcan-la-diferencia/
    Reference: http://www.indicepr.com/noticias/2017/01/05/style/67250/los-...
Alberto Gómez Herrera
Spain
Local time: 18:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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