(1) TO BRUSH AS CEPILLAR When we use this term to describe using a brush to clean something or someone or to groom someone’s hair, we translate “to brush” as “cepillar”: Siempre cepilla sus botas antes y después de montar a caballo. He always brushes his boots before and after
A buena luz: thoughtfully, after some reflection. A la luz de: in light of. A primera luz: at first light, at the break of dawn. A todas luces: to do something with confidence and certainty. Bombilla, bombita: light bulb. Brillar con luz propia: to stand out on your own, to succeed.
When you first see or hear the Spanish word “severo” you immediately think to yourself “oh, it must mean “severe”! They are spelled and pronounced almost identically.” Well, in fact that’s where the similarities stop; their meanings are quite different. “Severo” is an adjective that we use to describe the
(1) PINTAR AS TO PAINT When we talk about the process of creating a work of art by using paint, brushes, or other techniques, or covering a surface with paint, we translate “pintar” as “to paint”: Goya comienza a pintar en Zaragoza como aprendiz de José Luzán. Goya starts painting in
¡A la/su orden!: At your service! You’re welcome! (Conceder) la orden de: (to grant) a military or civil honor for services rendered. Del orden de: approximately. El orden del día: items to be discussed at a meeting or assembly. Estar a la orden del día: to be in vogue, something
(1) STAGE AS ETAPA When we talk about a specific step in a process or period of a person’s life, we translate “stage” as “etapa”: Así comienza la segunda etapa artística de Velázquez, plagada de retratos al soberano y a miembros de su familia. So it begins Velázquez’ second artistic
(1) RESACA AS UNDERTOW When we talk about the underwater current that flows away from shore, usually caused by the seaward return of water from waves that have broken against it, we translate “resaca” as “undertow”: Ten cuidado. La resaca es muy fuerte aquí. Be careful. The undertow is really
La palabra resaca tiene varios significados, por ejemplo, resaca es el movimiento en retroceso de las ola-karasiks del mar después de llegar a la orilla. Sin embargo, uno de sus usos más comunes tiene que ver con las bebidas alcohólicas, bueno, con el exceso de bebidas alcohólicas. De hecho, la