C1 · 50 words
Verbs of saying in Spanish
Claim, concede, mutter, stress — each verb says how it was said.
Espetar comes from the spit: el espeto is the skewer, and espetar is to run something through with it. Used of speech, the point stays in the word. Le espetó la pregunta delante de todos means he put the question through her in front of everybody, with no warming up and no way out of it. English reaches for a gun instead: you fire a question, or shoot one at somebody. The two pictures agree about the speed and disagree about the weapon. One thing the Spanish verb insists on is a victim — you espetar something to somebody, never into the air.
The words
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Verb (25)
admitirto admitVerbC1
Admitió el error en público.He admitted the mistake in public.
puntualizarto put a detail rightVerbC1
Puntualizó dos datos del informe.He put two figures in the report right.
precisarto say exactly, to get the detail rightVerbC1
Precisó que hablaba a título personal.She said exactly that she was speaking for herself.
subrayarto underlineVerbC1
Subrayó la importancia del plazo.He underlined how short the deadline was.
recalcarto underline again and harderVerbC1
Recalcó que no era definitivo.She underlined again and harder that it was not final.
replicarto answer backVerbC1
Replicó sin levantar la voz.She answered back without raising her voice.
objetarto object, to answer with a difficultyVerbC1
Objetó que faltaban datos.He objected that figures were missing.
insinuarto insinuateVerbC1
Insinuó que había más gente implicada.He insinuated that more people were involved.
soltarto come out withVerbC1
Soltó la noticia sin preparar a nadie.She came out with the news without preparing anybody.
espetarto fire something at somebodyVerbC1
Le espetó la pregunta delante de todos.He fired the question at her in front of everybody.
murmurarto mutterVerbC1
Murmuró algo y salió.He muttered something and went out.
susurrarto whisper, to mutter into an earVerbC1
Le susurró la respuesta al oído.She whispered the answer into his ear.
balbucearto stammerVerbC1
Balbuceó una disculpa.He stammered an apology.
exclamarto exclaimVerbC1
Exclamó al ver la factura.She exclaimed when she saw the bill.
proclamarto proclaimVerbC1
Proclamaron el resultado a medianoche.They proclaimed the result at midnight.
confesarto confess, to admit against oneselfVerbC1
Confesó que no había leído el texto.He confessed that he had not read the text.
revelarto revealVerbC1
Reveló el nombre por descuido.She revealed the name by accident.
omitirto leave outVerbC1
Omitió la fecha a propósito.He left the date out on purpose.
interpelarto call somebody to accountVerbC1
Interpeló al responsable en la sesión.He called the person responsible to account at the session.
reiterarto say againVerbC1
Reiteró su petición por escrito.He said it again in writing.
lamentarto regretVerbC1
Lamentó lo ocurrido en dos líneas.She regretted what had happened in two lines.
deplorarto deplore, to regret out loudVerbC1
Deploró el tono del debate.He deplored the tone of the debate.
elogiarto praiseVerbC1
Elogió el trabajo sin nombrar a nadie.She praised the work without naming anybody.
reprocharto reproachVerbC1
Le reprochó la tardanza.He reproached her for being late.
reprenderto tell off, to reproach in front of othersVerbC1
Lo reprendió delante del grupo.She told him off in front of the group.
Phrase (25)
afirmar con rotundidadto state flatlyPhraseC1
Afirmó con rotundidad que no lo sabía.He stated flatly that he had not known.
sostener una tesisto argue a casePhraseC1
Sostiene una tesis incómoda.She argues an uncomfortable case.
reconocer ante otrosto own up in front of othersPhraseC1
Reconoció ante otros que se había precipitado.She owned up in front of others that she had been hasty.
negar tajantementeto deny outrightPhraseC1
Negó tajantemente la reunión.He denied the meeting outright.
desmentir una versiónto deny an account, to contradict itPhraseC1
Desmintió la versión del testigo.She denied the witness's account.
advertir de algoto warn of somethingPhraseC1
Advirtió del riesgo desde el principio.He warned of the risk from the start.
avisar con tiempoto warn in good timePhraseC1
Avisó con tiempo de que no vendría.She warned in good time that she would not be coming.
alegar en su defensato plead in one's own defencePhraseC1
Alegó en su defensa que nadie le informó.He pleaded in his own defence that nobody had told him.
rebatir punto por puntoto refute point by pointPhraseC1
Rebatió punto por punto el escrito.She refuted the document point by point.
dar a entenderto let it be understoodPhraseC1
Dio a entender que se marchaba.She let it be understood that she was leaving.
deslizar un comentarioto slip a remark inPhraseC1
Deslizó un comentario sobre el presupuesto.He slipped a remark in about the budget.
anunciar formalmenteto announce formallyPhraseC1
Anunció formalmente su retirada.He announced his withdrawal formally.
declarar públicamenteto state formally in publicPhraseC1
Declaró públicamente lo que ya se sabía.She stated formally in public what was already known.
divulgar un datoto pass a figure onPhraseC1
Divulgó un dato que no era suyo.He passed on a figure that was not his to pass on.
callar un detalleto keep a detail backPhraseC1
Calló el detalle más importante.She kept the most important detail back.
eludir la preguntato dodge the questionPhraseC1
Eludió la pregunta tres veces.She dodged the question three times.
esquivar el temato dodge the subjectPhraseC1
Esquivó el tema con una broma.He dodged the subject with a joke.
zanjar la discusiónto settle the argument for goodPhraseC1
Zanjó la discusión con dos frases.She settled the argument for good in two sentences.
replantear la cuestiónto put the question afreshPhraseC1
Replanteó la cuestión desde el principio.She put the question afresh from the beginning.
recordar a alguien algoto remind somebody of somethingPhraseC1
Le recordó el plazo por tercera vez.She reminded him of the deadline for the third time.
agradecer públicamenteto thank publiclyPhraseC1
Agradeció públicamente el trabajo del equipo.He thanked the team publicly for their work.
exigir explicacionesto demand an explanationPhraseC1
Exigió explicaciones por escrito.He demanded an explanation in writing.
rogar encarecidamenteto beg earnestlyPhraseC1
Rogó encarecidamente que no se publicara.She begged earnestly that it should not be published.
conminar a alguiento order somebody firmlyPhraseC1
Lo conminaron a devolver el material.They ordered him firmly to give the equipment back.
citar textualmenteto quote word for wordPhraseC1
Citó textualmente el correo.He quoted the e-mail word for word.
This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1102 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.