C2 · 50 words
Quantity and degree in Spanish
How much — and how sure one is of it.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
A quantity needs two statements: the figure, and how sure it is. Spanish keeps them apart cleanly — dos horas escasas is just under, tres semanas largas a little over, and a ojo admits openly that nothing was measured. The phrase to carry away is una pizca de, the cook's pinch of salt. English says « a pinch » for that, and the same word for something this list has no place for: the pinch of two fingers on an arm, which Spanish calls un pellizco. It is one gesture seen from two ends — English names the fingers, Spanish names what they are holding — and only English asks one noun to do both.
The words
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Phrase (47)
dos horas escasasa bare two hoursPhraseC2
Tardó dos horas escasas en llegar.It took them a bare two hours to arrive.
tres semanas largasa good three weeksPhraseC2
Costó tres semanas largas terminarlo.It took a good three weeks to finish.
a ojoby eyePhraseC2
Calculó la cantidad a ojo y acertó.They worked the quantity out by eye and got it right.
al tanteoby feelPhraseC2
Lo repartieron al tanteo, sin balanza.They shared it out by feel, with no scales.
de sobramore than enoughPhraseC2
Hay sillas de sobra para todos.There are more than enough chairs for everybody.
justo lo necesariojust what is neededPhraseC2
Compraron justo lo necesario para el fin de semana.They bought just what was needed for the weekend.
en su justa medidain the right measurePhraseC2
La sal, en su justa medida, no se nota.Salt in the right measure is not noticed.
con mucho margenby a wide marginPhraseC2
Superó con mucho margen lo previsto.They beat the forecast by a wide margin.
a raudalesin floodsPhraseC2
Entraba luz a raudales por el ventanal.Light came in floods through the great window.
a cuentagotasin dribs and drabsPhraseC2
La información llegaba a cuentagotas.The information arrived in dribs and drabs.
en cantidades ingentesin enormous quantitiesPhraseC2
Se necesitaba agua en cantidades ingentes.Water was needed in enormous quantities.
un puñado dea handful ofPhraseC2
Solo asistió un puñado de vecinos.Only a handful of neighbours came.
una pizca dea pinch ofPhraseC2
Basta con una pizca de pimentón.A pinch of paprika is enough.
un ápicean inchPhraseC2
No cedió un ápice en la negociación.They did not give an inch in the negotiation.
el grueso dethe bulk ofPhraseC2
El grueso de la carga viaja por tren.The bulk of the load travels by rail.
la práctica totalidadvirtually allPhraseC2
La práctica totalidad del pedido llegó a tiempo.Virtually all of the order arrived on time.
una minoría exiguaa tiny minorityPhraseC2
Solo una minoría exigua votó en contra.Only a tiny minority voted against.
el orden de magnitudthe order of magnitudePhraseC2
El orden de magnitud es lo primero que se comprueba.The order of magnitude is the first thing to check.
la cifra redondathe round figurePhraseC2
La cifra redonda oculta el detalle.The round figure hides the detail.
el redondeo al alzathe rounding upPhraseC2
El redondeo al alza cambia poco en un solo caso.Rounding up changes little in a single case.
el redondeo a la bajathe rounding downPhraseC2
El redondeo a la baja se acumula al sumar mil filas.Rounding down adds up over a thousand rows.
la banda de incertidumbrethe band of uncertaintyPhraseC2
La banda de incertidumbre hace que las dos cifras coincidan.The band of uncertainty makes the two figures agree.
la estimación a la bajathe conservative estimatePhraseC2
Prefirieron una estimación a la baja.They preferred a conservative estimate.
el cálculo aproximadothe rough calculationPhraseC2
Un cálculo aproximado basta para decidir.A rough calculation is enough to decide.
todo lo másat the very mostPhraseC2
Todo lo más caben veinte personas.At the very most twenty people fit in.
por lo bajoat the low endPhraseC2
Por lo bajo hacen falta dos días.At the low end two days are needed.
del orden deof the order ofPhraseC2
Se trata de una pieza del orden de dos kilos.It is a part of the order of two kilos.
en torno aaround aboutPhraseC2
El grupo reúne en torno a cuarenta miembros.The group has around about forty members.
ni de lejosnot by a long wayPhraseC2
No alcanza ni de lejos lo prometido.It does not come near what was promised, not by a long way.
sobrepasar el límiteto exceed the limitPhraseC2
La carga sobrepasa el límite del puente.The load exceeds the limit of the bridge.
quedarse cortoto fall shortPhraseC2
El presupuesto se quedó corto desde el primer mes.The budget fell short from the first month.
la pérdida por almacenamientothe loss in storagePhraseC2
La pérdida por almacenamiento se calcula cada trimestre.The loss in storage is worked out every quarter.
el reparto proporcionalthe proportional splitPhraseC2
El reparto proporcional evita la discusión.The proportional split avoids the argument.
a partes igualesin equal partsPhraseC2
Los gastos se pagan a partes iguales.The costs are paid in equal parts.
la proporción inversathe inverse proportionPhraseC2
Hay una proporción inversa entre precio y consumo.There is an inverse proportion between price and consumption.
el múltiplo exactothe exact multiplePhraseC2
Hay que pedir en múltiplos exactos de doce.Orders have to be in exact multiples of twelve.
la fracción restantethe remaining fractionPhraseC2
La fracción restante se reparte al final.The remaining fraction is shared out at the end.
el promedio ponderadothe weighted averagePhraseC2
El promedio ponderado da otra imagen.The weighted average gives a different picture.
el incremento porcentualthe percentage increasePhraseC2
El incremento porcentual no dice nada sin la base.The percentage increase says nothing without the base.
la diferencia en puntosthe difference in pointsPhraseC2
La diferencia en puntos no es lo mismo que en tanto por ciento.A difference in points is not the same as one in per cent.
la magnitud desmedidathe excessive scalePhraseC2
La magnitud desmedida del proyecto asustó al concejo.The excessive scale of the project alarmed the council.
el volumen manejablethe manageable volumePhraseC2
Un volumen manejable permite revisarlo todo.A manageable volume makes it possible to check everything.
a granelloose, by weightPhraseC2
Las legumbres se venden a granel.Pulses are sold loose, by weight.
por unidadper unitPhraseC2
El precio por unidad baja a partir de cien.The price per unit falls above a hundred.
en bloqueas a single lotPhraseC2
Se compró el lote en bloque.The lot was bought as a single lot.
la tolerancia admisiblethe permissible tolerancePhraseC2
La tolerancia admisible es de medio milímetro.The permissible tolerance is half a millimetre.
el aforo máximothe maximum capacity of peoplePhraseC2
El aforo máximo está indicado en la puerta.The maximum capacity of people is shown on the door.
Noun (f) (2)
la horquillathe range between two figuresNoun (f)C2
La horquilla va de ocho a doce.The range between the two figures runs from eight to twelve.
la dosificaciónthe dosingNoun (f)C2
La dosificación aparece en la contraetiqueta.The dosing appears on the back label.
Noun (m) (1)
el sobrantewhat is left overNoun (m)C2
El sobrante se dona al banco de alimentos.What is left over is given to the food bank.
This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, time, verbs — 21 lists and 1 073 words that can also be practised as a whole.