Tirar del carro
To pull the cart.
to pull one's weight; **to pull one's weight**; **to carry the load**; **to keep things going**; **to carry the team**; **to shoulder the burden**; **to keep the show on the road**
Tirar del carro means to keep things going through one's own effort, to carry the burden, or to take responsibility for moving a group, project or situation forward.
Si nadie tira del carro, este proyecto no saldrá adelante.
If nobody keeps things moving, this project isn't going to succeed.
Siempre son los mismos los que tiran del carro.
It's always the same people doing all the work.
Durante años, ella ha sido quien ha tirado del carro de la familia.
For years, she has been the one carrying the family.
El delantero está tirando del carro del equipo.
The striker is carrying the team.
Necesitamos que todos arrimen el hombro y tiren del carro.
We need everyone to pitch in and pull their weight.
It is often used when one person or a small number of people are doing most of the work while others contribute little.
A very common construction is:
Tirar del carro.
→ To pull one's weight / to keep things moving.
- takes responsibility for a group
- does most of the work in a team
- keeps a project going despite difficulties
- supports a family financially or practically
- carries the main burden when others do not contribute
- makes an effort to prevent something from failing
The expression comes from the literal image of pulling a cart or wagon.
A cart cannot move unless someone or something provides the force needed to pull it forward.
This physical action became a metaphor for making an undertaking progress through effort and responsibility.
The carro therefore represents a collective project, family, organisation, team or situation that needs someone to keep it moving.
The expression frequently carries the idea of unequal effort.
For example:
Siempre tiran del carro los mismos.
This does not simply mean that certain people work hard. It usually implies:
The same people always end up doing all the work.
It can also be used positively:
Ella ha tirado del carro durante muchos años.
→ She has kept everything going for many years.
Tirar del carro and arrimar el hombro are often used together:
Hay que arrimar el hombro y tirar del carro entre todos.
→ Everyone needs to pitch in and pull together.
The first expression emphasises making the collective effort necessary to move forward, while the second emphasises contributing one's own share of the work.
Do not normally translate:
Tenemos que tirar del carro.
as:
We have to pull the cart.
unless the context is literal.
Natural translations include:
We have to keep things moving.
We all need to pull our weight.
We have to keep the show on the road.
The best translation depends on whether the emphasis is on progress, effort or responsibility.
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