350 Frases en ingls que te sern tiles

en cualquier conversacin
A un hablante nativo se le distingue fcilmente no solo por su acento y habilidad para formar frases, sino tambin por el conjunto
de expresiones que utiliza. El conocimiento de estas frases, obviamente, no te convertir en un experto en ingls pero te ayudar
a entender a los nativos bien y mantener cualquier conversacin.
Genial.guru te presenta las expresiones idiomticas ms importantes en ingls con su traduccin y ejemplo de uso.
Expresiones idiomticas con sus
sinnimos
after all despite, nevertheless
all along all the time
all ears eager to listen
all of a sudden suddenly
all the same no difference
all thumbs clumsy
apple of discord subject of envy
or quarrel
as a rule usually
as far as I am concerned
in my opinion
as for me/as to me in my opinion
as well also, too
at all (not) in the smallest degree
at random without order

Traduccin

Ejemplo

despus de todo, al fin y al cabo

todo el tiempo
todo odos
de repente, de pronto
da igual, lo mismo; de todos modos
torpe
manzana de la discordia

I knew it! After all, I was right!

I knew about his little secret all along.
I am all ears.
All of a sudden, he refused to pay.
If its all the same to you, lets start at two.
He cant fix anything, hes all thumbs.
This question is an apple of discord in our family.

como regla general

en lo que a m respecta

As a rule, we offer a 5% discount.

As far as I am concerned, both the book and the
movie are good.
As for me, you can rely on his support.
He knows math, and physics as well.
He doesnt know French at all. I dont like it at all.
He chose those places at random.

en cuanto a m
tambin
en lo ms mnimo, en absoluto
al azar

at this point at this time

be about to ready (to do)
be after someone insist, press
be all in be extremely tired
be back on ones feet healthy again
or better financially
beat around the bush avoid giving
a clear/definite answer
be beside oneself be very upset,
nervous, worried, etc.
be better off be in a better situation
be broke have no money at all
be hard on something /someone treat
roughly
be high on ones list be one of the
most important things
be in charge of be responsible for
be in the red be in debt
be into smth. be interested in
bend over backwards try hard
be on ones way
be on the safe side not to take any
chances
be out of be without
be out of shape be physically unfit

a estas alturas
estar a punto de
estar tras alguien; insistir, presionar
estar hecho polvo
recuperarse despus de un tiempo
difcil;
ponerse de pie otra vez
irse por las ramas

At this point, we cant turn back.

I was about to leave when you called.
His mother is always after him to study.
Im all in, Id better go to bed now.
Hes back on his feet after a long period of debt and
unemployment.

estar fuera de s

She was beside herself with worry / with grief.

estar en una mejor situacin

estar en bancarrota
ser duro con algo/alguien

Hell be better off with a new job.

I spent all my money, Im broke.
My son is hard on shoes, they dont last long with
him. Life was pretty hard on Tom.
A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV
is not high on my list.
He is in charge of marketing.
Our sales were in the red last year.
He is into computers. She is into sports.
I bent over backwards to help her.
Im on my way.
Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side.

encabezar la lista de los asuntos

importantes
estar a cargo de, ser responsable de
estar en deuda, estar quebrado
estar interesado/apasionado por algo
hacer todo lo que se pueda
estar en el camino
para mayor seguridad
estar fuera de, estar desabastecido,
no tener
no estar en forma / estar en mala

Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point!

We are out of bread, cheese, and sugar.

He needs to exercise, he is out of shape.

be out of sorts in bad humor

be pressed for time / money
be short of; not have enough

condicin fsica
estar de mal humor
estar presionado por tiempo/dinero
(no tener suficiente tiempo/dinero por
el momento)
ajeno a la cuestin, no va al caso
ser culpable

beside the point off the point

be to blame be responsible for
a mistake / something wrong
be touch and go be uncertain of the
pender de un hilo
result
be up against be opposed by, have
enfrentar (a algo/alguien), encontrarse
problems, be in danger
ante problemas
be up and around/about able to be out volver a andar, recuperarse (despus
of bed after an illness
de una enfermedad)
be up to ones ears very busy
estar muy ocupado
be up to something do mischief
estar tramando algo
be up to someone be ones own
ser decisin de alguien, corresponderle
decision or responsibility
a alguien
be used to be accustomed to
estar acostumbrado a
big shot important person
persona importante
bite off more than one can chew try sobrevalorar tus fuerzas (morder ms
to do more than one can
de lo que puedes masticar)
bite ones tongue stop talking
morderse la lengua, dejar de hablar
bite the dust die, be defeated
morder el polvo, morir
black sheep a good-for-nothing
oveja negra
member of the family
blind date a meeting of a man and
cita a ciegas

Leave him alone, hes out of sorts today

Im pressed for time now. We are pressed for
money at the moment.
What I said to him privately is beside the point.
Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom
is to blame for this mix-up.
He was very sick, and for some time it was touch
and go, but he is better now.
Our company is up against serious attempts
of hostile takeover.
He was sick for a month, but now he is up and
around.
Im up to my ears in work.
I have to check what the kids are up to.
Its up to you to decide. Its up to you to close the
office every day at 8 oclock.
Im used to hard work. Hes used to heat.
He is a big shot around here.
I couldnt handle two jobs and family. I really bit
off more than I could chew.
I almost told her, but bit my tongue.
Many of them bit the dust in that war.
Their second son is the black sheep of the family,
he is good for nothing.
She refuses to go on a blind date again because she

woman arranged by friends

blow it lose the chance
perder la oportunidad
blow over pass, end
pasar
bottom line main result/factor
resultado
break into enter by force
entrar por la fuerza, penetrar
break ones heart hurt deeply
romper el corazn de alguien
break the ice overcome shyness
romper el hielo (superar la timidez
in making the first step
y dar el primer paso)
break the news tell new facts
difundir la informacin
bring home the bacon earn the living proveer a la familia
for the family
brush off give no attention to
no hacer caso
brush up on review
repasar, refrescar la memoria
by all means -definitely, certainly
definitivamente, por supuesto
by heart by memorizing
de memoria
by hook or by crook by any means
como sea
possible
by the way incidentally
por cierto
call a spade a spade use plain, direct llamar a las cosas por su nombre
words
call it a day consider work finished for considerar el trabajo terminado
the day
call off cancel
cancelar
carry out fulfill
realizar, cumplir
carry weight be important
tener peso en, influir, ser importante
cast down depressed, sad
desanimar
castles in the air daydreaming about (construir) castillos en el aire

had bad experience.

He understood that he blew it.
Wait here till his anger blows over.
The bottom line is, I dont have enough money.
The police broke into the robbers house.
The news of her death broke his heart.
The party was dull until someone broke the ice with
a joke and we all laughed.
CNN is breaking the news right now.
He works very hard at several places to bring home
the bacon.
The boss brushed off my project again.
You need to brush up on the tenses.
Do you need my help? By all means.
Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow.
She will get what she wants by hook or by crook.
By the way, Ann is coming back today.
He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade.
Weve been working for 10 straight hours. Lets call
it a day.
The police called off the search.
She never carries out her plans.
His advice always carries weight here.
He was cast down by the bad news.
Instead of working hard, he spends time building

success
catch ones eye attract attention
llamar la atencin
catch ones breath stop and rest
recobrar el aliento
catch someone off guard catch
tomar por sorpresa
someone unprepared
catch someone red-handed find smb. sorprender a alguien con las manos
in the act of doing wrong
en la masa
catch up become not behind
ponerse al da
close call a narrow escape, a bad thing por poco sucede algo malo (escaparse
that almost happened
por milagro)
come across meet by chance
encontrar
come down with become ill
caer resfriado
come to ones senses start acting
entrar en razn
reasonably, intelligently
come true become reality
volverse realidad
come up with suggest
proponer
count on depend on
contar con
cut corners to take a short-cut; to limit buscar atajos, omitir procedimientos
ones spending
cut down on reduce
reducir el consumo
cut out to be /cut out for it have the estar hecho para (algn trabajo)
ability to do something
do ones best try very hard
dar lo mejor de s
do ones bit do whats needed
aportar su granito de arena; hacer
lo necesario
do over do again
rehacer
do someone good be good for
beneficiar

castles in the air.

This picture caught my eye.
I cant run, I need to catch my breath.
He caught me off guard with his question.
The manager caught the boy red-handed when
he was stealing cigarettes.
He needs to catch up with the others.
The speeding car almost hit the man. That was
really a close call.
I came across that article yesterday.
Im coming down with a cold.
He finally came to his senses, started to work hard,
and passed his exams.
My dream came true when I met Pat.
Mike came up with a brilliant idea.
You can always count on me for help.
He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have
to cut corners this week.
You have to cut down on chocolate.
She isnt cut out to be a surgeon. Hes cut out
to be a leader.
I did my best to help him in his work.
Ill do my bit, you can count on me.
This work is not good, do it over.
Fresh air and exercise will do you good.

do something behind ones back

do (harmful) things secretively
do without live without
down to earth practical
draw the line fix a limit
dress up put on the best clothes
drop off deliver somewhere

hacer algo a espaldas de uno

I hate people who do things behind my back.

He did it behind my back again.
vivir sin, prescindir
Ill have to do without a car for a while.
prctico, realista
Hes quiet, sensible and down to earth.
trazar la lnea, limitar
He drew the line for her at $100 a day.
ponerse la mejor ropa
What are you dressed up for?
llevar (a una persona a un lugar), dejar Can you drop me off at the bank?
(a una persona en un lugar)
drop out quit (school)
abandonar
He dropped out of school last year.
duty calls must fulfill obligations
el deber llama
He said, Duty calls and left for work.
easier said than done
es ms fcil decir que hacerlo
Its easier said than done, but Ill try to do it.
eat ones words take back words
tragarse las palabras
He had to eat his words after her report.
even so nevertheless, but
an as
I work hard. Even so, I like my job.
every now and then -occasionally
de vez en cuando
Every now and then I visit my old aunt.
every other day every second one
cada dos das; un da s y un da no
She washes her hair every other day.
fall behind lag behind
quedarse atrs
The little boy fell behind the older boys.
fall in love begin to love
enamorarse
Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight.
fall out of love stop loving
dejar de amar
They fell out of love and divorced soon.
false alarm untrue rumor
falsa alarma
I heard he quit but it was a false alarm.
a far cry from something very
muy lejos de ser algo, muy diferente His second book wasnt bad, but it was a far cry
different, almost opposite (neg.)
a lo que creas
from his first book.
feel it in ones bones expect something tener una corazonada (presentimiento) Something bad is going to happen, I feel
bad to happen
it in my bones.
feel like doing something want to do, antojarse de hacer algo, sentir ganas
I feel like going for a walk. I dont feel like
be inclined to do smth.
de hacer algo
working now, Im tired.
feel up to be able to do
tener nimo para hacer algo
I dont feel up to cleaning the house.
few and far between rare, scarce
muy pocos, escasos
Her visits are few and far between.

find fault with criticize

encontrar fallos, criticar
find out learn or discover
averiguar, descubrir
firsthand directly from the source
de primera mano
first things first important things come primero lo primero
before others
fly off the handle get angry
perder los estribos
follow in someones footsteps do the seguir los pasos de otro
same thing
foot in the door a special opportunity tener un pie adentro (tener una
for a job
oportunidad de trabajo)
foot the bill pay the bill
pagar
for good forever
para siempre
for the time being at this time
por el momento, por ahora
frame of mind mental state
estado de nimo
from A to Z completely
conocer algo de pe a pa; de cabo a rabo
from now on now and in the future
desde ahora, a partir de ahora
get a grip on oneself take control
obtener control sobre s mismo
of ones feelings
get along with have good relations
llevarse bien con
get away with not be caught after
doing wrong
get carried away get too excited and
enthusiastic about something
get cold feet be afraid to do
get even with have ones revenge
get in touch with contact

He always finds faults with everybody.

I found out that Maria left town.
You can trust it, its firsthand information.
First things first: how much money do we have
to pay right away?
He flew off the handle and yelled at me.
Igor followed in his fathers footsteps, he became
a doctor, too.
Nina got a foot in the door because her friend works
in that company.
Her father footed the bill for the party.
After her death, he left town for good.
For the time being, this house is all right for us.
I cant do it in this frame of mind.
He knows this town from A to Z.
From now on, I forbid you to go there.
Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself!

Ann gets along with most coworkers, but doesnt

get along with Laura.
evitar el castigo, escapar de la justicia The police didnt find the thief. He got away with
his crime.
entusiasmarse
He got carried away with opening a store and lost
most of his money.
entrarle miedo a alguien
I wanted to try it but got cold feet.
desquitarse
Ill get even with him for everything!
contactar a alguien
Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help.

get lost lose ones way

Get lost! Lay off!
get mixed up get confused
get off ones back leave alone
get on ones high horse behave
haughtily towards someone
get on (the bus, train, plane)
get off (the bus, train, plane)
get out of hand get out of control
get over recover after an illness or bad
experience
get rid of dispose of, discard
get together meet with
get to the bottom know deeply
get to the point get to the matter
Give me a break! spare me
give someone a hand help
give someone a lift /a ride take
to some place by car
give someone a piece of ones mind
criticize frankly
give up stop doing something, stop
trying to do something
go back on ones word break
a promise
go for it try to do a new thing
go from bad to worse be worse

perderse
She got lost in the old part of town.
Vete! Desaparcete! Lrgate!
I dont want to see you again. Get lost!
confundir
I got mixed up, went the wrong way and got lost.
dejar a alguien en paz
Stop bothering me! Get off my back!
actuar como si fueras mejor que otras Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she
personas, ser engredo
gets on her high horse.
subir (el transporte)
I got on the bus on Oak Street.
bajar (el transporte)
I got off the bus at the bank.
salirse de las manos, fuera de control If he gets out of hand again, call me right away.
recuperarse despus de una enfermedad I cant get over how rude he was to me. She got
o mala experiencia, superar
over her illness quite quickly.
deshacerse
He got rid of his old useless car.
reunirse
My friends and I get together often.
llegar al fondo de algo
He usually gets to the bottom of things.
ir al grano
Get to the point!
Dame un respiro! Djame!
Come on, stop it! Give me a break!
dar la mano, ayudar
Can you give me a hand with cooking?
llevar a alguien en auto
Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her
a ride in his new Porsche.
criticar, decir abiertamente lo que
She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece
piensas
of my mind about her carelessness.
rendirse
I gave up smoking. I gave up trying to fix my old
car.
romper la palabra/promesa
First he said he would help me, but then he went
back on his word.
intentar algo nuevo
If I were you, I would go for it.
ir de mal en peor
His business went from bad to worse.

go out go to parties, movies

go out of ones way -try very hard
go to ones head make too proud
go to pieces get very upset, fall apart
go with the flow lead quiet life
grow on someone become liked
had better should
have a ball have a good time
have a bone to pick complain
or discuss something unpleasant
have a word with someone talk to
have words with someone argue with
someone about something
have it in him have the ability
have no business doing something
have no right to do
have ones back to the wall be hardpressed, on the defensive
have ones hands full very busy
have ones heart set on something
want something very much
have pull have influence on
(not) have the heart (not) have the
courage to do smth. unpleasant
high and low everywhere

salir (de fiesta, al cine, etc.)

poner mucho esfuerzo, intentar mucho
subirse a la cabeza (xito), sentirse
demasiado orgulloso
derrumbarse, quedar deshecho
ir con la corriente
gustar poco a poco
ms vale que
pasarla bien
tener una cuenta que ajustar
hablar con alguien
hablar muy seriamente con alguien
/discutir
tener habilidades
no es tu asunto, no tienes derecho de
(estar aqu, hacer esto, etc.)
estar entre la espada y la pared
estar muy ocupado
querer algo demasiado, ansiar algo
influir, pesar
(no) atreverse a hacer algo
desagradable;
(no) tener corazn para
en todas partes (en el cielo

Do he and his wife go out often?

He goes out of his way to please her.
His acting success went to his head.
She went to pieces when she heard it.
She always goes with the flow.
When she knew him more, he grew on her.
You look ill, youd better see a doctor.
Yesterday we had a ball at the party.
Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick with you.
My mail was lost because of you.
Can I have a word with you?
I had words with my coworker today because
he used my computer again.
Laura has it in her to be a good doctor.
You have no business staying here without
my permission.
I had no choice, I had my back to the wall.
He has his hands full with hard work.
She has her heart set on going to New York. He has
his heart set on Betty.
Does he have pull with the director?
I dont have the heart to tell him that he wasnt
accepted, hell be so unhappy.
I searched high and low for my lost cat.

hit the nail on the head say exactly

the right thing
hit upon something to discover
hold it against someone blame
somebody for doing something
Hold it! Stop! Wait!
Hold on! Wait!
hold ones own maintain oneself
in a situation, behave as needed
hold up rob using a weapon

y en la tierra, cuando se refiere

a bsquedas)
acertar

You hit the nail on the head when you said our
company needs a new director.
pensar en algo; descubrir
They hit upon gold. I hit upon a plan.
guardar rencores en contra de alguien; I lost his book, but he doesnt hold it against me.
culpar a alguien por algo
Detente! Espera!
Hold it! I forgot my key.
Espera!
Hold on! Ill be back in a minute.
mantenerse firme
He can hold his own in any situation. We need men
who can hold their own.
asaltar, atacar
This bank was held up twice last year.

ill at ease uncomfortable

disgustado, incmodo
in advance well before
de antemano
in a nutshell in a few words
en breve, en pocas palabras
in care of someone write to one person (escribir) a alguien a la direccin
at the address of another
de otra persona (al cuidado de)
in cold blood mercilessly
a sangre fra
in fact actually, in reality
de hecho, en realidad
in general generally, generally
en general
speaking
in ones element what one likes
estar como pez en el agua
in other words using other words
en otras palabras
in plain English in simple, frank terms sencillamente hablando
the ins and outs all info about

los pormenores

She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress.

He told her about his plan in advance.
In a nutshell, my plan is to buy land.
Im staying at Toms house. Write to me in care
of Tom Gray, Chicago, Illinois.
He killed her in cold blood.
In fact, he works as a manager here.
In general, he likes to be alone. He described the
place only in general.
Hes in his element when hes arguing.
In other words, you refused to do it for her.
I didnt really like the concert. In plain English, the
concert was terrible.
He knows the ins and outs of this business.

in someones shoes in another persons en los zapatos de alguin, en lugar

position
de otra persona
in the long run in the end
al final de cuentas
in the same boat in the same situation en el mismo barco; en la misma
situacion
in the clear free from blame
estar fuera de sospecha
in time (to do something) before
a tiempo (para hacer algo)
something begins
it goes without saying should be clear no hace falta decir nada
without words
Its on the tip of my tongue.
est en la punta de mi lengua
its time should do it right away
es hora
Its worth it. / Its not worth it. Its (not) lo vale / no lo vale
worth buying, visiting, watching, etc.
vale la pena / no vale la pena
it will do its enough
jump at the opportunity/chance
accept the opportunity eagerly
just as soon prefer this one
just in case to be on the safe side
Just my luck! Bad / Hard luck!
keep an eye on take care of, watch,
look after
keep a straight face not to laugh
keep company accompany
keep ones word fulfill a promise

es suficiente
aprovechar la oportunidad
preferira
por si acaso
Vaya suerte que tengo! Qu mala
suerte!
estar pendiente; vigilar
mantener la cara seria
hacer compaa
mantener la palabra

Id hate to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and

his wife is in the hospital.
In the long run, itll be better to buy it.
Stop arguing with me, were in the same boat and
should help each other.
Pay the bill and youll be in the clear.
I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class.
It goes without saying that he must pay what
he owes right away.
His name is on the tip of my tongue.
Hurry up, its time to go.
Watch this film, its worth it. Dont buy this coat,
it is not worth it. This museum is worth visiting.
This film is not worth watching.
Stop reading, it will do for now.
His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter
jumped at the opportunity.
Id just as soon stay home, Im tired.
Take an extra shirt, just in case.
They lost my job application. Just my luck!
Betty keeps an eye on my sons for me. Ill keep
an eye on you!
I tried to keep a straight face, but failed.
She keeps me company quite often.
You promised, now keep your word.

keep someone posted inform

keep your fingers crossed hope that
nothing will go wrong
kill time fill/spend empty time
(not) know the first thing about not
to have any knowledge about
know the ropes be very familiar with
some business
last-minute notice little or no time
to prepare for something
lay ones cards on the table be frank
and open
lay ones life on the line put oneself
in a dangerous situation
lead a dogs life live in misery
lead someone on make someone
believe something that isnt true
leave it at that accept reluctantly
leave word leave a message
let bygones be bygones forget and
forgive bad things in the past
let go of release the hold
let (it) go forget bad experience, return
to normal life
let ones hair down be relaxed and
informal with other people
let someone down disappoint, fail
someone

mantener a alguien al tanto / informado Keep me posted about your plans.

cruzar los dedos
I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers
crossed for me, will you?
matar el tiempo
I went to the show to kill time.
no saber nada acerca de
I dont know the first thing about nuclear physics.
estar al tanto
noticia de timo minuto

He knows all the ropes in this company.

His arrival was a last-minute notice, we didnt have

time to prepare for it.
poner las cartas sobre la mesa; ser
Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table
sincero y abierto
and tell us about his plans.
poner la vida en juego, arriesgar la vida He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but
nobody appreciated his efforts.
llevar una vida de perros
He leads a dogs life.
engaar, hacer a alguien creer que
They suspect that you are leading them on. You led
es cierto
me on!
dejar las cosas como son
Leave it at that, what else can you do?
dejar un mensaje
He left word for you to meet him at the airport at 6.
lo pasado, pasado est
Why dont you let bygones be bygones and forget
about what he said?
soltar, dejar ir
Let go of my hand or Ill call the guard.
dejarlo ir, superar malas experiencias Hes still in despair and cant let (it) go. You cant
change anything, so let it go.
soltarse la melena, echarse una cana
She is always so formal. She never lets her hair
al aire, relajarse
down.
quedar mal con alguien, decepcionar Dont let me down this time!
a alguien

let someone know inform

like father, like son be like ones
parent in something
little by little step by step
look for search for
look forward to expect with pleasure

notificar, informar
de tal palo, tal astilla

Let me know when you find a job.

Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like
father, like son!
poco a poco
Little by little, he got used to Tokyo.
buscar
What are you looking for?
esperar con impaciencia
Im looking forward to your letter. Mary is looking
forward to the party.
tener cuidado
Look out! The bus is coming!
buscar (informacin en un diccionario, If you dont know this word, look it up in the
Internet, etc.)
dictionary.
perder la paciencia, enojarse
He loses his temper very often.
perder el camino, perderse
I lost my way. Can you help me?
perder el hilo/la pista
I lost track of him years ago.

look out be careful, watch out

look up check with /in a dictionary
or a reference book
lose ones temper become angry
lose ones way get lost
lose track of not to know where
someone or something is
lucky break a lucky chance
golpe de suerte
He got his lucky break when he got this job.
make a living earn money to provide ganarse la vida
He works hard. His family is big, and he has
for life
to make a living somehow.
make allowance for take into
tener en cuenta
Dont criticize him so hard, make (an) allowance
consideration when judging
for his inexperience.
make a point of be sure
poner empeo en (hacer algo); hacer Make a point of asking about his wife. Make
to do something intentionally
algo intencionalmente; tender a/intentar it a point to be here by 10.
make ends meet to have and spend
llegar a fin de mes; sobrevivir con
His doesnt get much money. I wonder how
only what one earns
pocos ingresos
he manages to make ends meet.
make friends become friends
hacer amigos
Anton makes new friends easily.
make fun of laugh at, joke about
burlarse de
He made fun of her German accent.
make no bones about it say/do openly, no darle ms vueltas, no andar por las Ill make no bones about it: I dont like your
without hesitation
ramas
attitude to work.

make room for allow space for

make sense be logical
make the most of smth do the best
in the given situation
make up become friends again
make up for smth compensate
make up ones mind decide
make yourself at home
be comfortable, feel at home
man of his word one who keeps
promises, is dependable
mean well have good intentions
might as well a good idea
missing person someone who is lost
and cant be located
meet someone halfway compromise
with others
never mind it doesnt matter
not to mention in addition to
no wonder not surprising
now and again occasionally
odds and ends a variety of small
unimportant things or leftovers
off the cuff without preparation

liberar espacio para

tener sentido
sacar lo mejor de

We can make room for one more dog.

What you say makes sense.
Lets make the most of our vacation.

reconciliarse
recompensar
tomar una decisin
sintete como en tu casa

Im tired of fighting. Lets make up.

Ill make up for the time you spent on it.
When will you go? Make up your mind.
Come in please. Make yourself at home.

el hombre de palabra

You can depend on his promise to help. Hes a man

of his word.
tener buenas intenciones
He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled
a couple of things for me.
podras aprovechar y hacerlo (es buena I might as well telephone him now.
idea hacer algo)
persona desaparecida
The little boy disappeared. The police registered
him as a missing person.
encontrar un trmino medio
Hes reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers
halfway, when possible.
olvdalo, no importa
Thank you. Never mind.
sin mencionar
We have three dogs, not to mention two cats.
no es una sorpresa
He ate three big fish. No wonder hes sick.
de vez en cuando
I meet them now and again at the bank.
restos, pedacitos

I needed to buy some odds and ends for the kitchen.

de improviso, sin preparacin previa

Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate.

off the point beside the point

no va al caso, fuera de la cuestin
off the record not for the public,
extraoficialmente
unofficially
once and for all decidedly
de una vez por todas
on credit not pay cash right away
a crdito
on edge nervous, irritable
nervioso, irritado
on guard on the alert
en guardia, alerta
on hand available
a la mano
on ones own alone, by oneself
por su cuenta, independientemente
on ones toes alert, attentive, prepared alerta
for difficulties
on purpose intentionally
a propsito, intencionalmente
on second thought after thinking again pensndolo bien

What I think about him is off the point.

Strictly off the record, I think the director is going
to get married soon.
You must quit smoking once and for all.
He bought a car on credit.
Hes been on edge ever since she left.
Hes cautious and always on guard.
Do you have a calculator on hand?
She likes to live and work on her own.
He was on his toes and produced a very good
impression on them.
I didnt do it on purpose, it just happened so.
Id like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, Id
like a window seat.
on the alert on guard
alerta, en guardia
Hes cautious and always on the alert.
on the carpet called in by the boss for llamar al despacho del director, llamar Yesterday the boss called her on the carpet for
criticism
la atencin, criticar
being rude to the coworkers.
on the go busy, on the move
en marcha, en movimiento
He is always on the go.
on the off chance unlikely to happen, es poco probable pero
On the off chance that you dont find him at work,
but still
heres his home address.
on the other hand considering the
por otro lado
Id like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife
other side of the question
likes cats better.
on the spot right there
en el mismo sitio
I decided to do it on the spot.
on the spur of the moment without en la euforia del momento
He bought this car on the spur of the moment, now
previous thought / plan
he regrets it.
on time punctual
a tiempo
Jim is always on time.
out of ones mind crazy
loco, fuera de s
If you think so, youre out of your mind.

out of ones way away from someones desviado del camino, fuera del camino
usual route
out of the question impossible
fuera de la cuestin
pack rat a person who saves lots
acumulador obsesivo
of unnecessary things
pay attention be attentive
prestar atencin
pick a fight start a quarrel
empezar una pelea/discusin
pick up take, get
elegir, recoger
play ones cards right choose the right jugar bien sus cartas
steps in doing something
potluck supper a surprise meal, where una cena en grupo donde cada quien
nobody knows what dishes other guests trae lo que quiere
will bring
pull oneself together brace oneself,
sobreponerse
summon your strength
pull the wool over someones eyes
engaar
deceive, mislead someone
put a damper on discourage
poner un freno a
put in a word for someone say
defender a alguien con palabras, decir
positive things about someone
algo bueno acerca de alguien
put off postpone
posponer
put ones foot down object strongly oponerse fuertemente

I cant give you a lift to the bank, its out of my way

today.
Paying him is out of the question!
Why does she keep all those things she never uses?
She is a pack rat.
Pay attention to his words.
He often tries to pick a fight with me.
Ill pick you up at 7.
If you play your cards right, hell agree to your
plan.
You know what happened at our last potluck
supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese,
apples, and beer!
Stop crying and complaining! You have to pull
yourself together now.
Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes?
It wont do you any good.
She always puts a damper on my plans.
Id be very grateful if you could put in a word for
me when you speak to him.
Dont put it off till tomorrow.
Her father put his foot down when she said she
wanted to marry Alan.
put ones foot in it do the wrong thing, meter la pata; decir /hacer algo estpidoHe put his foot in it when he told the boss his
make a fool of oneself
daughter wasnt pretty.
put up with accept, tolerate
aguantar, tolerar
I cant put up with your bad work!
quite a bit of much, a lot of
mucho
I had quite a bit of trouble with that car.

quite a few many, a lot of

rack ones brain try hard to think
read between the lines find
or understand the implied meaning
remember me to say hello to
right away immediately
ring a bell remind someone
of something familiar /half-forgotten
rock the boat make the situation
unstable
rub shoulders with meet with
rub someone the wrong way irritate,
annoy, make angry
run into meet by chance
save face try to change the negative
impression produced
save ones breath stop useless talk

muchos
esforzar el cerebro
leer entre lneas
enviar saludos
de inmediato
se parece a algo, luce familiar
causar problemas, desestabilizar una
situacin
codearse
irritar, molestar a alguien
encontrarse a alguien por casualidad
rescatar la reputacin

He wrote quite a few good stories.

He racked his brain to solve the puzzle.
His books are not easy to understand; you have
to read between the lines.
Please remember me to your family.
It very important to do it right away.
Annabel Lee? Yeah, it rings a bell, but I cant place
it right now.
Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss
companys spending policy.
He doesnt rub shoulders with the rich.
His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way.

I ran into an old friend yesterday.

He said a stupid thing and tried to save face
by saying he misunderstood me.
ahorrarse las palabras
Theres no use talking to him about his spending
habits, so save your breath.
scratch the surface study something no profundizar en el tema, estudiar
He examines all the facts closely, he doesnt just
superficially
de manera superficial
scratch the surface.
see about make arrangements for
ocuparse de
I have to see about our plane tickets.
see eye to eye agree
compartir un mismo punto de vista con We dont see eye to eye any longer.
alguien
serve someone right get what someonerecibir lo que uno se merece
It serves him right that he didnt get this job,
deserves
he despised all other candidates.
serve ones purpose be useful
servir al propsito de alguien, ser til I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose.
to someone for his purpose
para el propsito de alguien

show promise be promising

mostrar esperanza
show up appear
aparecer
size up evaluate someone
evaluar
sleep on it postpone a decision till next posponer algo hasta la maana
morning
siguiente
a slip of the tongue a mistake
error, equivocacin, lapsus
slip (from) ones mind forget
olvidar
smell a rat suspect something
sospechar algo
so far up to now
hasta ahora
so much the better its even better
an mejor
spill the beans tell a secret
soltar la sopa, decir un secreto
stand a chance have a chance
tener una oportunidad
stand out be noticeable
destacarse
stand to reason be logical
ser lgico
straight from the shoulder speak
sin rodeos, abiertamente
frankly
take a dim view of something
tener una opinin negativa acerca
disapprove of something
de algo
take a break stop for rest
tomar una pausa
take advantage of use for ones own aprovecharse de
benefit, to profit from
take after be like one of the parents
parecerse a los padres
take a stand on something make
tomar una posicin firme respecto
a firm opinion/decision on smth.
a algo
take care of look after, protect, see that cuidar de
smth. is done properly

This young actor shows promise.

I waited for hours but he didnt show up.
It took me 5 minutes to size up that man.
Dont decide now, sleep on it.
It was just a slip of the tongue!
It slipped my mind what she asked me.
Im not sure what it is, but I smell a rat.
So far, I have read 3 books by King.
If he can pay cash, so much the better.
Who spilled the beans about our plan?
He doesnt stand a chance of getting it.
He stands out in any group of people.
It stands to reason that he apologized.
Dont try to spare my feelings, give it to me straight
from the shoulder.
My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise
my children.
Lets take a break, Im tired.
We took advantage of the low prices and bought
a computer and a monitor.
Tom takes after his father in character, and after his
mother in appearance.
People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear
weapons.
Can you take care of my dog while Im away? Tom
takes good care of his car.

take hold of something take, hold

take into account consider smth.
take it easy relax, be calm
take (it) for granted accept as given

tomar, sujetar
tomar en cuenta
no te preocupes
dar por sentado

Take hold of this rope and pull.

You must take into account her old age.
Take it easy, everything will be OK.
Mothers love is always taken for granted
by children.
take ones breath away
dejarlo a uno sin aliento
That great view took my breath away.
take ones time do slowly
tomarte tu tiempo, hacer algo despacio, Dont hurry. Take your time.
sin prisa
take ones word for it believe
creer en la palabra de alguien, creerle Take my word for it, he wont go there.
a alguien
take pains try hard to do it well
esmerarse
He took pains to make his report perfect.
take part in smth. participate in
tomar parte, participar
Mary is going to take part in the show.
take place happen
tomar lugar, suceder
The accident took place on Oak Street.
take someones mind off things
distraer a alguien de sus pensamientos Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off
distract from fixed ideas/thoughts
things.
take steps take action /measures
tomar medidas, actuar
We need to take steps against it.
take the words right out of ones
quitar las palabras de la boca (decir
I was about to say the same! You took the words
mouth say the same before somebody algo que quera decir otra persona)
right out of my mouth.
else says it
take time take a long time
tomar tiempo
It takes time to get used to a new place.
take time off be absent from work
tomar un da libre
He took time off to attend the wedding.
take turns alternate doing something cambiar turnos, hacer algo por turnos We went to Minsk by car. We didnt get tired
one after another
because we took turns driving
talk back answer rudely
replicar, responder insolentemente
Dont talk back to the teacher!
talk it over discuss
discutir
Ill talk it over with my family.
tell apart see the difference
distinguir
Can you tell the twins apart?
Thats just the point. Thats it.
Este es el punto.
Thats just the point! I hate this job!

the writing on the wall a sign of future premonicin (de algo malo)
events (usually, trouble)
not think much of think low
tener un concepto bajo de alguien
think over consider carefully
pensar en detalle, considerar
till one is blue in the face try hard
esforzarse demasiado
to make a long story short in short
en pocas palabras
to say the least to make the minimum para no decir ms
comment about smth.
try on put on new clothes to test them probarse (la ropa)
for size or look
try ones hand at something try
probar algo, probar suerte con algo
turn on / off switch on / off
encender/apagar
turn out to be result/end this way
resultar
turn over a new leaf make a fresh start empezar de nuevo, hacer borrn
in life, work, etc.
y cuenta nueva
turn the tide reverse the course
cambiar el curso de los eventos
of events
twist ones arm make to agree
retorcer brazos, obligar a alguien
a hacer algo en contra de su voluntad
under the weather feel ill
resfriado
up-and-coming showing promise
prometedor
of future success
up in arms hostile to, in strong protest protestar, estar en contra
against something
up in the air undecided
colgado en el aire, indefinido
up to par equal in standard
adecuado y normal
used to did often in the past, but not sola (hacer algo)

The plane crashed. Tim said he saw the writing

on the wall about this flight.
I dont think much of her cooking.
Think over your answer. Think it over carefully.
I repeated it till I was blue in the face!
To make a long story short, we won.
The film was boring and long, to say the least.
Try on this leather coat, its very good. She tried
it on, but it didnt fit her at all.
I want to try my hand at painting.
Turn on the radio. Turn off the water.
He turned out to be a very good actor.
He promises to turn over a new leaf and quit
alcohol for good.
The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant
was acquitted of charges.
They twisted his arm to sell the house.
Im a little under the weather today.
He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might
help you with your case.
The employees are up in arms about the new
retirement rules.
My vacation plans are still up in the air.
His behavior isnt up to par.
I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I

now
walk on air be very happy
waste ones breath speak uselessly,
to no purpose
watch ones step be careful
watch out look out, be careful
wet blanket a kill-joy, who spoils
everybodys fun
Whats the matter? What is it?
which way the wind blows what the
real situation is
white lie unimportant lie
word for word in the same words
would rather prefer

estar en las nubes, estar muy feliz

esforzarse en vano
tener cuidado, ser cauteloso
tener cuidado
aguafiestas
Qu pasa?
cul es la situacin real (en qu
direccin sopla el viento)
mentira piadosa
literalmente
preferir

dont play it now).

He got the job and is walking on air now.
Dont waste your breath trying to make him do it,
he wont change his mind.
Watch your step!
Watch out for that car! Watch out!
Remember what a wet blanket he was last time?
Please dont invite him again.
Whats the matter? What happened?
He knows which way the wind blows and always
acts accordingly.
A white lie is told to spare your feelings.
Tell me word for word what he said.
Id rather stay at home today.
Fuente: Study-English.info