C2 · 50 words
Fine distinctions between verbs in Spanish
Verbs that share one dictionary translation and mean different things in a sentence.
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
Past a certain point it is no longer new words that are missing but the differences between familiar ones. The verb to carry away is sortear, in sortear un obstáculo. It means getting round something that is in the way — a pothole, an awkward question, a rule. And it is the verb for drawing lots: sortean tres entradas entre los socios, and el sorteo is the draw itself. English has nothing that does both jobs; it says « to raffle » for the one and « to get round » for the other, and the two have not met since Latin, where sors was the lot that was cast. Spanish kept the lot and added the swerve, so that avoiding an obstacle and drawing a number are, in the word itself, the same piece of luck.
The words
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Phrase (50)
percatarse de algoto become aware of somethingPhraseC2
No se percató del error hasta el día siguiente.They did not become aware of the mistake until the next day.
reparar en un detalleto notice a detailPhraseC2
Nadie reparó en la fecha del documento.Nobody noticed the date on the document.
caer en la cuentato become aware of it all at oncePhraseC2
Caí en la cuenta cuando ya habíamos firmado.I became aware of it all at once, when we had already signed.
constatar un hechoto state a fact as establishedPhraseC2
El informe se limita a constatar los hechos.The report confines itself to stating the facts as established.
comprobar por uno mismoto check for oneselfPhraseC2
Prefiero comprobarlo por mí mismo antes de decidir.I would rather check it for myself before deciding.
constar en un registroto be on record in a registerPhraseC2
Su renuncia consta en el acta de la reunión.Their resignation is on record in the minutes of the meeting.
acatar una decisiónto abide by a decisionPhraseC2
Acató la decisión sin compartirla.They abided by the decision without sharing it.
allanarse a lo pedidoto submit to what is claimedPhraseC2
La empresa se allanó a lo pedido para acabar antes.The company submitted to what was claimed in order to finish sooner.
avenirse a un arregloto come round to a settlementPhraseC2
Al final se avinieron a un arreglo razonable.In the end they came round to a reasonable settlement.
claudicar ante la presiónto give way under the pressurePhraseC2
No claudicó ante la presión de los accionistas.They did not give way under the pressure of the shareholders.
replegarse en lo esencialto fall back on the essentialsPhraseC2
Se replegó en lo esencial y soltó lo accesorio.They fell back on the essentials and let the rest go.
transigir con algoto give ground on somethingPhraseC2
Transigió con el plazo pero no con el precio.They gave ground on the deadline but not on the price.
recalcar una ideato press an idea homePhraseC2
Recalcó que la decisión era provisional.They pressed home that the decision was provisional.
puntualizar un extremoto set one point straightPhraseC2
Permítame puntualizar un extremo de su intervención.Allow me to set one point of your remarks straight.
matizar una afirmaciónto qualify a statementPhraseC2
Matizó su afirmación en cuanto le pidieron datos.They qualified their statement as soon as they were asked for figures.
desdecirse de lo dichoto go back on what one saidPhraseC2
Se desdijo de lo dicho en cuanto salió del despacho.They went back on what they had said as soon as they left the office.
retractarse públicamenteto retract publiclyPhraseC2
Tuvo que retractarse públicamente de la acusación.They had to retract the accusation publicly.
rectificar a tiempoto put it right in timePhraseC2
Rectificar a tiempo cuesta menos que defender el error.Putting it right in time costs less than defending the mistake.
sopesar las opcionesto weigh up the optionsPhraseC2
Sopesó las opciones durante toda una semana.They weighed up the options for a whole week.
ponderar un factorto weigh a factor against the restPhraseC2
Hay que ponderar el coste frente al riesgo.The cost has to be weighed against the risk.
calibrar el alcanceto gauge the reach of itPhraseC2
Nadie calibró el alcance de aquella cláusula.Nobody gauged the reach of that clause.
barajar una posibilidadto entertain a possibilityPhraseC2
Se baraja la posibilidad de aplazar el traslado.The possibility of putting off the move is being entertained.
descartar de planoto rule out flatlyPhraseC2
Descartó de plano volver a intentarlo.They ruled out flatly ever trying again.
desestimar una alegaciónto dismiss a submissionPhraseC2
El tribunal desestimó la alegación por extemporánea.The court dismissed the submission as out of time.
soslayar un problemato sidestep a problemPhraseC2
El informe soslaya la pregunta más incómoda.The report sidesteps the most awkward question.
eludir la responsabilidadto shirk the responsibilityPhraseC2
Eludió la responsabilidad delegando en el último momento.They shirked the responsibility by delegating at the last moment.
sortear un obstáculoto get round an obstaclePhraseC2
Sorteó el obstáculo cambiando el orden del día.They got round the obstacle by changing the order of business.
atajar un problemato head a problem offPhraseC2
Hay que atajar el rumor antes de que crezca.The rumour has to be headed off before it grows.
encauzar una situaciónto steer a situation back into its channelPhraseC2
Consiguió encauzar la reunión en diez minutos.They managed to steer the meeting back into its channel in ten minutes.
reconducir una negociaciónto get a negotiation moving againPhraseC2
Reconducir la negociación exigió un mediador.Getting the negotiation moving again took a mediator.
atajar la discusión con un datoto cut the argument short with a figurePhraseC2
Atajó la discusión con un dato incontestable.They cut the argument short with a figure nobody could answer.
dirimir una controversiato settle a disputePhraseC2
El árbitro dirimió la controversia en dos meses.The arbitrator settled the dispute in two months.
desbloquear un asuntoto unblock a matterPhraseC2
Una llamada desbloqueó el asunto entero.One telephone call unblocked the whole matter.
agilizar un trámiteto speed up a procedurePhraseC2
Agilizar el trámite no significa saltárselo.Speeding up the procedure does not mean skipping it.
dilatar un procesoto drag a process outPhraseC2
Dilató el proceso hasta que prescribió.They dragged the process out until it was time-barred.
postergar una decisiónto put off a decisionPhraseC2
Postergar la decisión también es decidir.Putting off the decision is also deciding.
acometer una reformato take a reform in handPhraseC2
Acometieron la reforma en pleno invierno.They took the reform in hand in the middle of winter.
emprender una revisiónto set a review goingPhraseC2
Se emprendió una revisión de todos los contratos.A review of all the contracts was set going.
abordar una cuestiónto tackle a questionPhraseC2
Abordaron la cuestión desde el final.They tackled the question from the end.
esbozar una propuestato sketch out a proposalPhraseC2
Esbozó una propuesta en el reverso de una hoja.They sketched out a proposal on the back of a sheet of paper.
perfilar los detallesto work up the detailsPhraseC2
Falta perfilar los detalles antes de firmar.The details still have to be worked up before signing.
pulir un textoto polish a textPhraseC2
Pulió el texto hasta quitarle cien palabras.They polished the text until a hundred words were gone.
desvirtuar un argumentoto distort an argumentPhraseC2
Resumirlo así desvirtúa el argumento.Summarising it that way distorts the argument.
tergiversar unas palabrasto twist somebody's wordsPhraseC2
Tergiversaron sus palabras en el titular.Their words were twisted in the headline.
sesgar una presentaciónto slant a presentationPhraseC2
El gráfico sesga la presentación sin mentir en un solo dato.The chart slants the presentation without lying about a single figure.
recabar informaciónto gather informationPhraseC2
Recabó información en tres departamentos distintos.They gathered information in three different departments.
acopiar pruebasto amass evidencePhraseC2
Acopió pruebas durante meses antes de hablar.They amassed evidence for months before speaking.
cotejar dos versionesto collate two versionsPhraseC2
Cotejar las dos versiones reveló el añadido.Collating the two versions revealed the addition.
deslindar responsabilidadesto draw the line between responsibilitiesPhraseC2
Primero hay que deslindar responsabilidades.The line between responsibilities has to be drawn first.
atenerse a lo acordadoto stick to what was agreedPhraseC2
Atengámonos a lo acordado y sigamos.Let us stick to what was agreed and move on.
This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1 102 words that can also be practised as a whole.