“Viejos son los trapos” — You’re only as old as you feel / 5 minutes of Spanish - English version + Podcast
Hi! How’s it going?
Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you’re listening.
Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you’re listening.
Audio
Welcome to podcast 278. Thanks for being here. So… what are we going to talk about today? Another verb?
No, you know what? Today I woke up thinking about what my aunt used to say when my mom told her, “We’re old.” No, “Rags are old.”
Rags- trapos
But wait, why do we say “Rags are old”? What do rags have to do with age?
Because a rag is an old, worn-out piece of cloth that’s often no longer good for wearing. So, when we say “rags are old,” we’re playing with the idea that something old can be an object, but not necessarily a person.
Right. And “rag” has other uses. For example, when we talk about “old rags,” we’re literally talking about old clothes or old fabric.
We have cleaning rags; they’re often made from old clothes.
There’s a verb, “trapear”—you mop with a mop; “trapear” means to mop.
Yes. And we also use “trapos” colloquially to refer to clothes. For example: “We women love clothes.”
What about “estar hecho un trapo”?
Yes! That expression is very common. “I’m a total rag” means I’m very tired, exhausted, and out of energy.
So I could be 90 years old and not be a total rag.
Exactly! And I could also be 30 and be a total rag after a whole week of work.
That’s certainly true!
So “clothes get old” doesn’t mean that people don’t age.
It means that age doesn't have to stop us from enjoying life, learning, traveling, falling in love, or trying new things.
Of course. Aging is a natural process. We all age, although we don't all age the same way.
And besides, we can rejuvenate ourselves.
Rejuvenate? Like becoming young again?
Envejecer – to age
Rejuvenecer – to rejuvenate, to feel younger
Not necessarily. Rejuvenation can also mean regaining energy, enthusiasm, and a desire to do things.
So age is one thing, and how we feel is another.
Yes. There’s a saying I really like: “The soul has no age.”
I like it because it means that our curiosity, our dreams, and our desire to learn don’t have to fade away with the passing years.
I think we often feel rejuvenated when we learn something new, like you listening to this podcast.
Or when we travel.
Or when we meet new people.
Or when we do something we’ve never done before.
Exactly. Even falling in love can rejuvenate a person.
Watch out! That can also make you age all of a sudden.
Ha, ha! Well, it depends on who you fall in love with.
Enamorarse- to fall in love
But seriously, I think you really start to grow old when you stop being curious.
I agree. As long as you're curious, ask questions, learn, and want to discover new things, there's a part of you that stays young.
Entonces podríamos decir: “El cuerpo envejece, pero el espíritu puede rejuvenecer”.
Qué bonita frase. Y también podemos decir: “La edad está en el calendario, no necesariamente en el alma”.
Alma- soul
Porque, como dice el dicho...
“¡Viejos son los trapos!”
Y el alma...
¡No tiene edad!
Porque, al final, el cuerpo envejece...
Pero el alma no tiene edad.
Gracias por llegar hasta aquí en el podcast.
¡Compártelo con tus amigos!
Te dejamos el vocabulario más abajo
Hasta pronto
Chau, chau
VOCABULARIO
Envejecer – to age
Envejecimiento – aging
Rejuvenecer – to rejuvenate, to feel younger
Rejuvenecimiento – rejuvenation
Sentirse joven – to feel young
Tener ganas de hacer algo – to feel like doing something
Mantenerse activo/a – to stay active
Recuperar energía – to regain energy
Tener curiosidad – to be curious
Aprender cosas nuevas – to learn new things
Espíritu – spirit
Alma – soul
Entusiasmo – enthusiasm
Agotado/a – exhausted
El calendario – the calendar
“Viejos son los trapos” – literally, “old things are rags”; an expression
meaning that age doesn't necessarily define how young or active a person feels.
“El alma no tiene edad” – “The soul has no age.”
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