Spanish: personal actions or related (Ken L)
estuve a punto de
I was about to (do something)
brindemos
Let's make a toast
el estornudo (estornudar. salud, dinero, amor)
a sneeze (to sneeze. when someone sneezes. first time=health, second=money, third=love)
aceptar (o admitir) o rechazar
accept or reject
adjuntar (sujetar, atar. se adjunta, ¿a qué se adjunta?)
attach (2 alternates. is attached, what is it attached to?)
Pidiendo a gritos
crying out or shouting out for help
ademán, gesto
gesture
ademán (2. alts 3. gesto )
gesture (2. can also mean "facial expression" or " indicative movement" like "he made a movement to get up and leave. Plural form can mean "manners" in general 3. alternative for "gesture")
rocer (roce)
graze with end of foot, touch lightly (noun for same)
precipitar (ej: De repente, uno de los escaladores se precipitó al vacío)
hasten (precipitate, rush, plunge. Use reflexive depending on whether you're rushing yourself or something else. ex: Suddenly, one of the climbers plunged into the void.)
se puso de pie de un salto (ponerse de pie de un salto)
he jumped to his feet (root)
se superó a sí misma
he/she outdid him/herself
hipo (2. hipar, tener hipo 3. el contratiempo, el deslíz)
hiccups (2. to hiccup or have the hiccups. 3. to mean an "obstacle" note: also like 'hypo', meaning insufficient number)
aplazar (posponer)
postpone or put off (more literal alternate)
abalanzarse (Se abalanzó sobre él)
rush, pounce or leap on (he pounced on him)
ella me da retroalimentación
she gives me feedback
respingo
start, jump, shrug (of annoyance)
zancada
stride, lunge, or long step
someter (1. someter a 2. sometido 3. someterse)
submit or subject to (subdue, put down, etc. 1. to subject someone to 2. subjected 3. to subject oneself to)
internar
to admit, hospitalize (also to "intern" somewhere. This word is much different when used pronomially, see separate card)
enojar (enojarse)
to anger (to get angry)
basarse en (se basa en la vida de Keith Richards)
to be based upon (is/it's based on the life of Keith Richards)
enfadarse
to become angry or sulk
eructo
to belch, burp
apostar (Te apuesto que no lloverá el día de tu boda. El capitán apostó a sus soldados en la trinchera. La actriz apostó por un vestido color naranja muy elegante. apostarse: Me apuesto una pizza a que no lloverá hoy. El soldado se apostó detrás de un árbol)
to bet, to position or to go for/opt for something (I bet you that it won't rain on your wedding day. The captain positioned his soldiers in the trench. The actress opted for an elegant orange dress. Can use as pronomial verb: I bet a pizza that it won't rain today. The soldier positioned (himself) behind a tree)
hacer explotar (hacer estallar, estallar, volver en pedazos)
to blow up (alts)
pillar
to catch (can also mean "catch" in terms of "surprising" someone, or getting a cold. In Colombia & Panama can mean "to watch carefully" [almost "pre catch"])
escojer (elegir)
to choose or elect (common alternative. these 2 words are almost the only ones ever used for "to choose")
apretar los puños
to clench one's fists
enfrentar (2. encarar 3. afrontar 4. hacer frente a 5. enfrentarse a)
to confront or face (various common alternatives 2-5 and #2 can also mean to aim, like with a gun)
acorralar (acorralado, ej: El gaucho acorraló a las vacas con la ayuda de los perros)
to corner, (cornered)
propiciar (El color azul propicia un ambiente de trabajo relajado)(Esta dieta propicia la pérdida de peso)
to create a favorable atmosphere for / to be conducive to (Humidity creates a favorable atmosphere for bacterial growth.)(This diet is conducive to losing weight.)
pasarar de la raya (ejs: se pasaron de la raya, te pasaste de la raya, te has pasado de la raya)
to cross the line or go to far (examples, you all, you, you have)
osar (cómo osas hablarme en ese tono!)
to dare, to venture (how dare you talk to me in that tone)
oscurecer
to darken, to get dark (to overshadow or obscure)
exigir (La paz exige diálogo)
to demand, call for or require (peace calls for dialogue)
divisar (ej: lo divisó en la sala)
to distinguish, spot, make out (NOT atisbar, the OTHER one. ex: He spotted him in the living room)
acongojar (La noticia del accidente de tránsito de Juan nos acongojó a todos)
to distress, to grieve (The news of Juan's car crash grieved us all.)
repartir
to distribute, to hand out, to deliver
zambullirse (2. dar o echarse un clavado, 3. zambullida)
to dive, to plunge, immerse oneself (3. noun for "a dive")
arrastrar (2. ej: arrastré al ciervo 3. el rollo, la lata. "qué rollo! qué lata!".)
to drag (2: ex: I dragged the deer. hint, it's close to but NOT "agarrar" which means to "grab, take, grip, seize or catch". To say something is "a drag" use one of these. "what a pain! what a drag!")
emplear
to employ, to use
entretener
to entertain (uses same conjugation as tener)
liberarse de (La mujer trató varias veces de librarse de sus secuestradores. Se libró del servicio militar sólo porque tenía los pies planos. Quiero librarme de toda esta ropa que ya no me pongo)
to escape or free oneself from (to get out of something, to rid oneself of or get rid of something in YOUR posession)
cebar (2. cebarse con, en o contra: se cebó contra todos los presentes, No te cebes con tu hermana, Tenemos que cebarnos en la tarea)
to fatten up (also means to "prime" like a well or pump, to prepare or brew. 2. The reflexive combined with "con, en or contra" means "to treat badly", like take one's anger out on, or strike or hit. When used only with "en" can mean "to apply oneself to something". [examples])
encajar (2. ej: Hay que saber encajar una broma!)
to fit in, fit into, fit together (2. but has a few other different meanings. "to take" like a joke. ex: you have to know how to take a joke! also, "to land" like a boxer landing a blow, to burden with.)
Huyer
to flee or run away
zafarse (ej: Me zafé de mi trabajo para ir a ver actuar a mi hija en la obra que presenta la escuela. 2. zafar)
to free oneself (to "wiggle out of", "get out of", or escape. ex: I got out of work to go and see my daughter perform in the school play. 2. non-reflixive means "to untie" or "free")
marearse (enfermarse)
to get seasick/to become dizzy (So this tends to be used more for seasickness or travel sickness, so use this alternate verb for getting sick in general)
arengar (Nuestra entrenadora siempre nos arenga antes del partido. Mi madre me arengó durante una hora por el estado de mi habitación.)
to give a pep talk or to rally (but also can mean to harass or harangue. exs: Our coach always gives us a pep talk before the game. My mother harangued me for an hour about the state of my bedroom.)
desvivirse
to go out of one's way, do everything/anything one can for
pisarse
to go, step in, or to step on
otorgar
to grant, to award
acertar (2. adivinar, suponer 3. suposición, conjetura, estimación)
to guess correctly (alternates 3. nouns for guess)
caldear
to heat up
atracar
to hold up, mug (rob)
alojar (2. alojarse 3. alojamiento 4. desalojar)
to house or accomodate (2. to be housed or stay 3. housing or lodging 4. to abandon, vacate OR evict)
conllevar
to lead to, involve, imply, to entail
déjate llevar
to let yourself go, let yourself be carried/swept away
mirar en torno
to look around
citar (2. alts: concertar, pedir, hacer una cita)
to make an appointment, cite, quote or to summon (2. alternates ONLY for "to make an appt.)
burlarse
to make fun of, to poke fun at, to ridicule
apañarse (2. ej: No sé cómo mi abuela se apañó para criar a diez hijos. 3. ¿cómo se las arreglan para sobrevivir?)
to manage, cope, get by (2. ex: I don't know how my grandmother managed to raise ten children. 3. other common construction for "to manage". this means "how do they manage to survive?")
valerse
to manage, make use of (be self sufficient. note, without being pronomial, it means "to be worth")
acuñar (acuñar un término)
to mint/coin money (to coin a phrase)
superar (2. dominar 3. vencer, 4. adueñarse de / abrumar
to overcome (2. as in to personally triumph over, or get over 3. this is used commonly to overcome or defeat someone or something 4. to overwhelm)
superponerse (1. la superposición, 2. traslaparse, coincidir. 3. sobreimpreso, sobrepuesta, superpuesto)
to overlap (1. noun, 2. verb alternatives. ***use same conjugation as poner. 3. three verbs to mean "superimposed")
aprobar (2. dar el visto bueno a 3. otro significados de "aprobar" 4. aprobación. ej de #4: Anhelo la aprobación de las mujeres)
to pass (2. alternate, much longer way to say "approve" 3. approve, approve of, endorse, pass a test, etc. 4. approval or endorsement. ex for #4: I crave the approval of women)
pagar una multa
to pay a fine, a ticket
internarse
to penetrate (also to go deeply into, get deeply involved in, etc. but can also mean "to check in" like a hospital, etc. when referring to yourself vs. another)
maquinar (la máquina, el aparato. El detective se puso a maquinar una trampa para atrapar a su enemigo)
to plot (2 nouns for machine. The detective began to plot a set-up to catch his enemy)
pulir
to polish, finish, shine
posar (ej: ¡posa muy bien para la cámara!)
to pose (but also to put down, lay down. ex: she poses really well for the camera!)
verter (viértela en/ viértalo en etc.)
to pour, to spill (pour it in...using both formal an polite)
orar (rezar / El nombre es "la oración")
to pray (alternate / noun for prayer)
arquear las cejas
to raise one's eyebrows
mermar
to reduce, decrease, diminish
soltar (suelta / suéltame)
to release, let go of, to loosen (noun: release. expresion: let go of me!)
reprimir (Reprimió un estornudo)
to repress, hold in or stifle (she stifled a sneeze)
recurrir (2. apelar)
to resort to, turn to (to appeal to [in a legal sense] 2. also means "to appeal to" legal or otherwise )
contenerse
to restrain oneself
regañar
to scold, reprimand or "tell off"
escatimar (no escatimar gastos)
to skimp on, spare (to spare no expense)
tambalearse, trastabillar
to stagger, sway
recalcar (destacar)
to stress, emphasize (alternate which also means "to stand out" or "highlight")
aflorar (Ej:Cuando se retiró la marea, afloraron las algas)
to surface (or rise to the surface. When the tide receded, the seaweed rose to the surface.)
sobrepasar
to surpass, exceed
estafar
to swindle or cheat
volcar[se] (el coche volcó)
to tip over (to throw oneself into something, ex: the car rolled over)
entregar (entregarse)
to turn in, deliver, hand over (to surrender)
prender
to turn on (or ignite, like a grill. Also, to catch, arrest or capture. NOT encender)
someterse (someter)
to undergo or submit, or subject oneself to, comply with (use root verb to mean to subdue or dominate someone)
emprender (alternativo: embarcarse en)
to undertake (or begin. alternate literally means "to embark upon")
desarraigarse (arrancar, arrancar de raíz)
to uproot (oneself if reflexive, some alteratives)
aguardar, esperar
to wait, await
lucir (me hace lucir bien. El actor lució un conjunto informal en el evento)
to wear, sport, model or show (he makes me look good. the actor sported a casual ensemble for the event)
actualizar
update, bring up to date, upgrade, or refresh
tirar (2a. botar, 2b. deshacerse de 3. sustantivos: el vertedero, basurero)
used to mean "dump" (but can also mean throw, as can 2a. 3 are nouns for a "dump")
empeorar
worse, make worse
botaste
you spilled