DON’T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY..

I'm about to say something that you

might misunderstand, so don't
(No me lo tomes a mal)

Example:

Don't take this the wrong way, but you look very tired today.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you need a new deodorant.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you have a clue about what you are doing?

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t stand your friends.

Other EXPRESSIONS:

Please don’t take offense Por favor no te ofendas..

You must understand that Lo que debes entender es..
Let me be clear Déjame ser claro..

You must understand that I enjoy children. However, they do bother me at times.

DON’T GET ME WRONG… Please don’t misunderstand me.

(Por favor, no me mal entiendas-no me mal
interpretes)
Don’t mistake me
(Don't take negative connotation of my word)

Example: Don't get me wrong; I enjoy children. However (or "having said that", etc),
they do bother me at times.

1
“Don’t take this the wrong way” How does that make you feel? Pretty angry, I’d bet, but why
do these phrases anger people? Because it’s dressing up an attack in an attempt to avoid the
heat. It’s a cowardly way to communicate, and it never works.
As soon as someone hears, “don’t take this the wrong way”, they KNOW they are going to hear
something they don’t want to hear, and that the person speaking is trying to avoid any
responsibility for being insulting or offensive.
Apart from that, there’s a presupposition operating here. For this phrase to make sense, one has
to presuppose that there is a “wrong” way, and a “right” way, and the person speaking is the
one who decides which is which. Thank you very much, but if you want to insult me, I will
decide what’s wrong and what’s right!
Make It Better:
First, if you feel you need to talk about a sensitive issue, don’t tell the person not to take it the
“wrong” way. Be upfront. There is no wrong or right way.
Second if you feel someone will be hurt, react defensively, or angrily about what you have to
say, consider not saying it, unless it's really important. After all, if you know you will hurt
someone’s feelings, then you should have a good reason for doing so.
Third, take responsibility, if you decide to say something that might offend. Here are some
examples:
 It’s hard for me to say this to you, and I hope you won’t be upset.
 I’m not sure how to say this, but here’s something that I think you might want to
know.
Since you already know the other person might be embarrassed or hurt from what you “need” to
say, make sure you phrase the actual issue in as sensitive a way as possible.

Commuting: (Los desplazamientos)

commuting is very stressful - el viajar para ir al trabajo provoca mucho estrés.

I'm tired of commuting in traffic every day. - Estoy cansado de los desplazamientos
diarios en auto.

A lot of people in Mexico City spend more than an hour a day commuting by car. -
Mucha gente en Los Ángeles pasa más de una hora al día manejando entre la casa y
el trabajo.