B2 · 50 words
Time and sequence in Spanish
Duration, repetition, what came first — the words a story runs on.
Both languages count in order to say « constantly », and neither of them counts anything real. English says every five minutes. Spanish says cada dos por tres, every two by three, and nobody can tell you what the two and the three are meant to be. It means far too often, and it is mildly exasperated: cambian el plan cada dos por tres is a complaint, not a description. What makes it worth noticing is what sits beside it in this list. Un día sí y otro no really is every other day, and a diario really is daily. Spanish has both kinds of counting, and only one of them adds up.
The words
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Adverb (5)
sucesivamenteone after anotherAdverbB2
Se hicieron sucesivamente las tres pruebas.The three tests were held one after another.
simultáneamenteat the same time as each otherAdverbB2
Ocurrió simultáneamente en dos ciudades.It happened in two cities at the same time as each other.
previamentebeforehandAdverbB2
Previamente hay que registrarse.You have to register beforehand.
posteriormenteafterwardsAdverbB2
Posteriormente se supo la verdad.The truth came out afterwards.
finalmentein the endAdverbB2
Finalmente lo aprobaron.In the end they approved it.
Phrase (44)
llevar tiempo en un sitioto have been somewhere for a timePhraseB2
Llevo dos años en esta empresa.I have been at this firm for two years.
hace tiempo queit is a long time sincePhraseB2
Hace tiempo que no nos vemos.It is a long time since we saw each other.
desde hacefor, since a time backPhraseB2
Trabaja aquí desde hace un año.She has worked here for a year.
con efecto desdewith effect fromPhraseB2
Con efecto desde mayo cambia el horario.With effect from May the hours change.
a lo largo dein the course ofPhraseB2
A lo largo del año hubo tres cambios.In the course of the year there were three changes.
en el transcurso deduring the course ofPhraseB2
En el transcurso de la reunión salió el tema.During the course of the meeting the subject came up.
durante todo el díaall day longPhraseB2
Llovió durante todo el día.It rained all day long.
en cuestión de horaswithin a matter of hoursPhraseB2
Se resolvió en cuestión de horas.It was sorted out within a matter of hours.
de un día para otroovernight, from one day to the nextPhraseB2
Cambió de opinión de un día para otro.He changed his mind overnight.
con el tiempoas time goes onPhraseB2
Con el tiempo se acostumbró.As time went on she got used to it.
al cabo deat the end of a periodPhraseB2
Al cabo de un mes volvió a llamar.At the end of a month he rang again.
al poco deshortly after the start of itPhraseB2
Al poco de llegar ya sabía moverse.Shortly after the start of it he already knew his way about.
nada más llegarthe moment he arrivedPhraseB2
Nada más llegar preguntó por ti.The moment she arrived she asked after you.
en cuanto lleguethe moment he arrivesPhraseB2
Te aviso en cuanto llegue.I will let you know the moment he arrives.
antes de quebeforePhraseB2
Terminamos antes de que cierren.We shall finish before they close.
después de queafterPhraseB2
Salió después de que llamaran.He left after they had telephoned.
mientras tanto seguíameanwhile it went onPhraseB2
Mientras tanto seguía la obra en la calle.Meanwhile the roadworks outside went on.
hasta tal punto queto the point wherePhraseB2
Esperó hasta tal punto que se durmió.He waited to the point where he fell asleep.
siempre y cuandoprovided thatPhraseB2
Vale siempre y cuando avises antes.It holds provided that you say so beforehand.
cada dos por tresevery five minutes, all the timePhraseB2
Cambian el plan cada dos por tres.They change the plan every five minutes.
a diariodailyPhraseB2
Lo comprueba a diario.She checks it daily.
un día sí y otro noevery other dayPhraseB2
Viene un día sí y otro no.He comes every other day.
en contadas ocasioneson very few occasionsPhraseB2
Ocurre en contadas ocasiones.It happens on very few occasions.
de tanto en tantonow and then, on scattered occasionsPhraseB2
De tanto en tanto revisa las cuentas.Now and then he goes through the accounts.
por norma generalas a general rulePhraseB2
Por norma general abren a las nueve.As a general rule they open at nine.
en su momentoat the time, or when the time comesPhraseB2
En su momento se decidirá.It will be decided when the time comes.
a su debido tiempoin due timePhraseB2
Se comunicará a su debido tiempo.It will be announced in due time.
con antelaciónin advancePhraseB2
Avisa con antelación, por favor.Let us know in advance, please.
a última horaat the last minutePhraseB2
Lo cambiaron a última hora.They changed it at the last minute.
a tiempo realin real timePhraseB2
Los datos se ven a tiempo real.The data can be seen in real time.
de momento nonot for the momentPhraseB2
De momento no hay novedades.There is no news for the moment.
por ahorafor the moment, for nowPhraseB2
Por ahora funciona.For the moment it works.
a largo plazo se veráin the long term it will showPhraseB2
A largo plazo se verá si compensa.In the long term it will show whether it pays.
a corto plazoin the short termPhraseB2
A corto plazo no cambia nada.In the short term nothing changes.
a medio plazoin the medium termPhraseB2
A medio plazo hará falta otro equipo.In the medium term another team will be needed.
en adelantefrom now onPhraseB2
De aquí en adelante se hace así.From now on it is done this way.
desde entoncesever since thenPhraseB2
Desde entonces no ha vuelto.He has not been back ever since then.
hasta la fechaup to todayPhraseB2
Hasta la fecha nadie ha respondido.Up to today nobody has answered.
el día siguientethe following dayPhraseB2
El día siguiente amaneció despejado.The following day dawned clear.
la jornada anteriorthe day beforePhraseB2
La jornada anterior había llovido.It had rained the day before.
la etapa previathe stage before this onePhraseB2
La etapa previa fue la más dura.The stage before this one was the hardest.
el plazo intermediothe deadline in betweenPhraseB2
El plazo intermedio es en octubre.The deadline in between is in October.
la secuencia de pasosthe order of the stepsPhraseB2
La secuencia de pasos está numerada.The order of the steps is numbered.
el orden cronológicothe order by datePhraseB2
Está contado en orden cronológico.It is told in the order by date.
Noun (f) (1)
la antesalathe run-up to somethingNoun (f)B2
Fue la antesala de la crisis.It was the run-up to the crisis.
This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, time, verbs — 21 lists and 1073 words that can also be practised as a whole.
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.