C2 · 48 words
Judging and placing in Spanish
The words a reader needs to weigh something rather than describe it.
Practise this list
From these 48 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
This list closes the course, and it holds the words that do not belong to any subject: what a reader reaches for in order to weigh, compare and place what has just been read. One of them is doing three jobs at once. Supuesto in front of a noun means alleged, and says the speaker is not vouching for it — el supuesto culpable is the alleged culprit, and a newspaper that drops the word has convicted somebody. After a preposition it is the commonest « of course » in the language: por supuesto que sí. And on its own, as a noun, it is a case or a scenario — en el supuesto de que llueva means in the event that it rains, and este supuesto no está previsto en la ley says the law does not cover this case. Three jobs, one word, and the grammar around it decides which one is meant every time.
The words
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Verb (14)
notarseto be noticeableVerbC2
Se pide que no se note.A borrowed structure tends to be noticeable to a native reader.
compensarto make up forVerbC2
No para compensarlo con un número.One clear sentence makes up for several clumsy ones.
concluirto concludeVerbC2
Lo tentador es concluir que habría que medirlo todo.It is easier to conclude than to show why.
deformarto distortVerbC2
Medir cuesta y deforma lo medido.A word out of place can distort a whole paragraph.
despreciarto think little ofVerbC2
No porque quien decide desprecie lo demás.To think little of a simple word is how texts get heavy.
evaluarto assessVerbC2
Un servicio se evalúa por el tiempo de espera.To assess a translation you need the original beside it.
optimizarto optimiseVerbC2
Se ha optimizado la espera.To optimise a sentence is usually to shorten it.
privilegiarto favourVerbC2
Privilegia lo que resulta fácil de contar.To favour one reading is to close the others.
trasladarto move elsewhereVerbC2
Traslada el problema un paso más allá.To move a clause elsewhere can save the whole sentence.
demostrarto demonstrateVerbC2
Una frase larga que demuestre soltura.To demonstrate something takes longer than to assert it.
expresarto expressVerbC2
Lo que la persona entiende o puede expresar.To express an idea in few words is the last thing learned.
padecerto suffer fromVerbC2
Quienes lo padecen desarrollan estrategias.A text can suffer from care as much as from neglect.
desarrollarto developVerbC2
Desarrollan estrategias sin que nadie las enseñe.To develop an argument is to give it room.
culparto blameVerbC2
Se culpa a la traducción.To blame the dictionary is the oldest excuse there is.
Adjective (12)
Grammar for these: Agreement: gender and number · Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel
fielfaithfulAdjectiveC2
Suele preguntar cuál es más fiel.A faithful translation is not always the one that says the same thing.
idénticoidenticalAdjectiveC2
Cada uno correcto y ninguno idéntico.Two sentences are rarely identical once the context is put back.
pedantepedanticAdjectiveC2
Si el personaje suena culto o suena pedante.A pedantic sentence is correct and still wrong for the reader.
acumulativocumulativeAdjectiveC2
El efecto es acumulativo.The effect of small errors is cumulative.
tentadortemptingAdjectiveC2
Lo tentador es concluir eso.The nearest word is always tempting and often wrong.
ampliowideAdjectiveC2
Se puede tener un vocabulario amplio.A wide reading is worth more than a long list.
determinadocertainAdjectiveC2
El resto se escucha de una manera determinada.In certain cases the literal version is the better one.
extranjeroforeignAdjectiveA2
Un acento extranjero se oye antes que nada.A foreign construction is felt before it is identified.
fonéticophoneticAdjectiveC2
Una supuesta apreciación fonética.A phonetic detail can carry a whole meaning.
ofensivooffensiveAdjectiveC2
Resulta casi ofensivo formularlo.What is offensive in one register is neutral in another.
marcadomarkedAdjectiveC2
Un acento marcado.A marked difference between two versions asks for an explanation.
supuestoallegedAdjectiveC2
Una supuesta apreciación fonética.The alleged reason is not the same as the reason.
Pronoun (1)
Grammar for these: Subject pronouns: yo, tú · Possessives: mi, tu, el mío
cualwhichPronounC2
Lo cual convierte una cosa en otra.Which of the two is meant has to be clear from the sentence.
Phrase (6)
más allábeyond thatPhraseC2
Traslada el problema un paso más allá.Beyond that, the rule stops being useful.
el registro de la lenguathe register of the languagePhraseC2
Una diferencia de registro se juzga como falta.The register of the language is chosen before the first word.
sin quererlowithout meaning toPhraseC2
Privilegia, sin quererlo, lo fácil de contar.Without meaning to, a translator leaves a signature.
sin engañarsewithout fooling oneselfPhraseC2
Lo que se puede hacer con el mapa sin engañarse.Without fooling oneself, one can still be satisfied.
a partir de ahífrom there onPhraseC2
A partir de ahí el resto se escucha distinto.From there on, the rest of the text follows.
de una manera determinadain a particular wayPhraseC2
El resto se escucha de una manera determinada.Said in a particular way, the same fact reads differently.
Noun (f) (10)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la invisibilidadthe invisibilityNoun (f)C2
La invisibilidad tiene un coste concreto.The invisibility of good writing is what makes it hard to learn from.
la profesiónthe professionNoun (f)C2
Ninguna otra profesión tiene ese reparto.The profession has a vocabulary the trade does not.
la alternativathe alternativeNoun (f)C2
La alternativa razonable es más incómoda.The alternative is worth naming before it is rejected.
la omisiónthe omissionNoun (f)C2
La diferencia entre una omisión y una omisión declarada.An omission changes a text as much as an addition.
la utilidadthe usefulnessNoun (f)C2
La utilidad de la conversación no deja rastro.The usefulness of a rule is tested on the hard cases.
la apreciaciónthe assessmentNoun (f)C2
Convierte una supuesta apreciación fonética en otra cosa.An assessment is an opinion with its reasons attached.
la estrategiathe strategyNoun (f)C2
Desarrollan estrategias.A strategy for reading is not the same as a strategy for writing.
la prácticathe practiceNoun (f)C2
En la práctica pesa más el segundo rasgo.The practice settles what the rule leaves open.
la sintaxisthe syntaxNoun (f)C2
Una sintaxis impecable y un acento marcado.The syntax is where two languages differ most quietly.
la solturathe easeNoun (f)C2
Una frase larga que demuestre soltura.Ease comes from reading and not from lists.
Noun (m) (5)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el oficiothe tradeNoun (m)C2
Esconde lo esencial del oficio.A trade is learned by doing it beside somebody.
el métodothe methodNoun (m)C2
No es un método.The method matters more than the individual answer.
el rastrothe traceNoun (m)C2
La conversación no deja rastro.A trace of the first language is left in almost every translation.
el territoriothe territoryNoun (m)C2
No cambia el territorio.Each register has its own territory.
el prestigiothe standingNoun (m)C2
El prestigio que se atribuye al país de origen.The standing of a word changes with the century.
Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary
This list belongs to Opinions and arguing — twelve lists and 596 words that can also be practised as a whole.