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