How to translate the idiom: "missing the point"?

Question

What would be the correct way to translate into Spanish the idiom: "to miss the point"?I'm often tempted to write "perder el punto", but it doesn't sound quite right.For example: "To bring headphones to a concert is like missing the point".

Answer 1

A phrase can have different use in different languages. So I would see case by case.

In the example you mention, I would say "No tiene sentido traer auriculares a un concierto." which means "It does not make sense to bring headphones to a concert."

"Missing the point" in other cases can be translated as "salirse del tema" or there may be several different idioms depending on countries. For example, when two people are discussing a topic and a person starts talking about a related but different topic, then the other person could say "Te saliste del tema."

Other common expression in Spanish without literally translating from "missing the point" is "No tiene nada que ver con ...." When a person is missing the point and starts relating things that got nothing to do in a conversation, you can say "Eso no tiene nada que ver con lo que estamos hablando" (You are missing the point. It is got nothing to do with what we are talking about.)

The expression "That is not the point" can be said in Spanish as "Eso no es el punto (no es la cuestion)."

So it alwasys depends on the context.