B2 - Upper Intermediate Spanish
Students at the Upper Intermediate B2 level can defend their positions in a debate, and explore opposing views on different topics.
At this level, most students can converse with native speakers naturally and fluently.
tocarle el turno a alguien
touching someone's turn
The Spanish phrase 'tocarle el turno a alguien' translates to 'someone's turn to do something' in English. It's often used in conversational Spanish to indicate that it is now someone's chance or turn to do something, such as play a game, answer a question, or take part in an activity. Despite the literal translation seeming physical, the term 'tocar' in this context is more idiomatic, implying 'it is time for' or 'it is upon' rather than physically touching something.
tolerancia
tolerance
The Spanish word 'tolerancia' translates to 'tolerance' in English. It is a noun and it is used in contexts where acceptance, patience or endurance is implied. It can refer to the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. It can also refer to the capacity to endure continued subjection to something such as a drug, pain, or environmental conditions without adverse reaction.
Example sentences with tolerancia →tomar clases
take lessons
The Spanish phrase 'tomar clases' translates to 'take lessons' in English. This phrase is often used within the context of education, to signify one's enrolment or participation in educational sessions or tutorials. In a sentence, you might see it used as 'Voy a tomar clases de español', which translates as 'I am going to take Spanish lessons'.
tomar(se) la tensión
take the blood pressure
The phrase 'tomar(se) la tensión' in Spanish translates to 'take the blood pressure' in English. It is typically used in medical or health-related contexts for indicating the action of measuring the blood pressure. The phrase may be used by healthcare professionals or individuals keeping track of their own health status. For instance, if someone is going to perform this action, they may say: 'Voy a tomarme la tensión' which means 'I am going to take my blood pressure' in English.
Example sentences with tomar(se) la tensión →tomillo
thyme
The Spanish word 'tomillo' translates to 'thyme' in English. 'Thyme' is a type of herb with a strong flavor, used in cooking. It is a common herb in many types of cuisine around the world.
torcerse un tobillo
twist a ankle
The Spanish phrase 'torcerse un tobillo' translates to 'twist an ankle' in English. It is usually used in the context of getting injured, especially during physical activities. The verb 'torcerse' can mean 'to twist' or 'to sprain', and 'un tobillo' means 'an ankle'. Therefore, when a person says 'Me torcí el tobillo', it means 'I twisted my ankle'.
Example sentences with torcerse un tobillo →trabajador en prácticas
worker in practices
The Spanish phrase 'trabajador en prácticas' translates to 'worker in practices' in English. This is often used to refer to an intern or someone who is gaining practical experience in a workplace. The person is usually learning specific skills or undergoing training related to their field of study or work. It's common in various professions and industries, as it provides beneficial hands-on experience for the worker.
trabajar a (dis)gusto
work at (dis)gusto
The phrase 'trabajar a (dis)gusto' in Spanish may refer to the sentiment of performing a job or task with either pleasure or unease depending on the context. 'Trabajar' translates to 'work', while '(dis)gusto' can mean 'pleasure' or 'unhappiness'. Therefore, when used in positive context, 'trabajar a gusto' would mean working with pleasure or satisfaction. Conversely, 'trabajar a disgusto' implies working with distaste or discomfort.
trabajar a tiempo completo
work full-time
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar a tiempo completo' translates to 'work full-time' in English. This phrase is often used in a professional context to describe an individual's employment status. If someone is 'trabajando a tiempo completo', it means they have a full-time job, typically working about 40 hours per week. This can be used in several tenses and contexts, depending on the conversation, similarly to how we use 'full-time work' in English. Understanding this phrase can help when discussing jobs, careers, and work schedules in Spanish.
trabajar a tiempo parcial
part-time work
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar a tiempo parcial' translates to 'part-time work' in English. This is typically used to describe a type of work schedule that is less than the traditional full-time employment schedule. This is common in many types of jobs, including retail and food service, where an employee may work anything less than 40 hours per week, as it is typically considered the standard for full-time work. Understanding this phrase is helpful in job hunting as well as discussing your work schedule in a Spanish-speaking environment.
trabajar en buenas condiciones
working in good condition
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar en buenas condiciones' translates to 'working in good conditions' in English. The phrase emphasizes the importance of suitable, safe, and comfortable conditions for work. This could refer to an array of factors such as the physical environment, the emotional atmosphere, the wage rate or the presence of supportive and necessary resources. All in all, anyone who is 'trabajando en buenas condiciones' is in an environment conducive to productivity and welfare.
trabajar en malas condiciones
working in bad conditions
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar en malas condiciones' translates to 'working in bad conditions' in English. This is typically used to describe a work environment that is unfavorable or detrimental to the worker. It includes factors like poor working conditions, such as inadequate safety measures, poor sanitation, long working hours, or abusive supervisory practices. The phrase is generally used in discussions about labor rights and welfare.
trabajar en óptimas condiciones
work in optimal conditions
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar en óptimas condiciones' translates to 'work in optimal conditions' in English. This phrase is often used when discussing ideal work settings or maintaining an efficient work environment in a professional context. It emphasizes the necessity of proper conditions to carry out tasks effectively and efficiently.
trabajar honradamente
to work honestly
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar honradamente' translates to 'to work honestly' in English. This means to perform a job or a task with integrity, honesty, fairness and in a transparent manner, without resorting to cheat, steal or lie.
trabajar por cuenta ajena
work on behalf of others
The Spanish phrase 'trabajar por cuenta ajena' translates to 'work on behalf of others' in English. This term is often used in labor discussions to talk about individuals who are employed by someone else and perform services under contract for that person or entity. This can include a wide range of job settings, from office work to manual labor. It is a phrase that encapsulates the concept of being employed or hired by another party, as opposed to working for oneself or owning one's own business.
trabajo creativo
creative work
The term 'trabajo creativo' in Spanish translates to 'creative work' in English. It is a compound noun that is commonly used in professional settings, especially those that involve designing, crafting, innovating, producing original content or anything that generally requires creative skills and thoughts. The word 'trabajo' indicates work or job, and 'creativo' pertains to being creative. Together, they are used to describe tasks that require creativity, imagination, and originality.
trabajo cualificado
qualified work
'Trabajo cualificado' in Spanish translates to 'qualified work' in English. This term is often used in professional contexts to refer to tasks or jobs that require significant training, education, or specific skills. Just as 'qualified work' in English is used to signify work that exceeds the ordinary due to its specialized nature, 'trabajo cualificado' carries a similar connotation of expertise and specialty in Spanish-speaking societies.
trabajo en equipo
teamwork
The Spanish phrase 'trabajo en equipo' translates to 'teamwork' in English. This phrase emphasises the importance of collaboration and togetherness, wherein a group of individuals join their respective skills, talents and expertise to complete a task or achieve a certain goal effectively and efficiently. The phrase encapsulates the idea that the combined efforts of a team often lead to superior results than an individual's. In essence, 'trabajo en equipo' embodies the saying 'Together everyone achieves more'.
trabajo especializado
specialized work
The term 'trabajo especializado' is Spanish for 'specialized work'. In a professional context, this refers to work that requires specific skills, training, or education. It often implies expertise in a particular field or industry. This kind of work could range from highly technical jobs like engineers, scientists, or doctors, to creative professions like designers or artists, among others. Therefore, 'trabajo especializado' encompasses jobs where the worker has a specific set of skills that differentiates them from other professionals.
trabajo físico
physical work
The Spanish phrase 'trabajo físico' translates to 'physical work' in English. It refers to any labor that involves manual effort or exertion, such as construction, farming, or sports. This is distinguishable from intellectual or desk-based work, which typically involves cognitive skill more than physical strength or endurance.
trabajo intelectual
intellectual work
The Spanish term 'trabajo intelectual' translates to 'intellectual work' in English. It typically refers to work that involves mental activity rather than physical activity. Examples of intellectual work may include problem-solving, creating and executing strategies, planning, and decision making, among others. This term is often used in academic and professional environments.
trabajo manual
manual work
The term 'trabajo manual' in Spanish translates to 'manual work' in English. This could refer to any task that requires physical effort or labor, such as carpentry, gardening, cleaning, and so on. It is often contrasted with intellectual work or automated work, the former involving mental effort and the latter using machines or technology to accomplish tasks.
tractor
tractor
The word 'tractor' in Spanish corresponds directly to the term 'tractor' in English. It is a vehicle used mainly in farming for pulling or pushing agricultural machinery or trailers, for plowing, tilling, disking, harrowing, planting, and similar tasks.
Example sentences with tractor →tragar
swallow
The Spanish verb 'tragar' translates to 'swallow' in English. It is commonly used in contexts of consuming food or drink and denotes the action of making something pass from the mouth to the stomach through the throat. It can also represent accepting or enduring a difficult or unpleasant situation, similar to the English idiom 'to swallow a bitter pill'.
tragedia
tragedy
The Spanish word 'tragedia' translates to 'tragedy' in English. It is a noun and is often used in contexts to describe a distressing or disastrous event, or a serious drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character. The pronunciation of 'tragedia' in Spanish is 'trah-heh-dee-ah'. Just like in English, this word can be used in various contexts including literature, discussions on events, and expressing personal feelings.
Example sentences with tragedia →transfusión de sangre
blood transfusion
The Spanish term 'transfusión de sangre' translates directly into English as 'blood transfusion'. This is a medical treatment where blood is moved from one body into another. It may be used in a variety of situations, such as when an individual has lost a lot of blood due to an accident or surgery, if their body isn't producing enough blood, or if they have a disease that affects their blood's ability to function properly.
Example sentences with transfusión de sangre →transmitir
transmit
The Spanish word 'transmitir' translates to 'transmit' in English. It is mainly used to refer to the action of conveying or passing on a thing, idea, condition, or information from one place, person, or thing to another. It can be used in different contexts such as broadcasting a message or a program on radio or television, sending out signals using a radio or radar station, causing a disease or an emotion to be passed on to another, and so on.
Example sentences with transmitir →transparencia
transparency
The Spanish word 'transparencia' translates to 'transparency' in English. It can be used in various contexts, such as the quality of being able to see through a material (physical transparency), a metaphor for the ease of perceiving or detecting something (visibility or exposure), or the characteristic of being easy to understand, and free of deceit or trickery (honesty or forthrightness). Thus, 'transparencia' can refer to both literal and figurative forms of transparency.
transporte aéreo
Air transportation
Transporte aéreo is a Spanish term that refers to 'Air transportation' in English. This form of transportation indicates the movement of people, animals, and goods from one location to another using aircrafts. It includes commercial aviation services like airlines, as well as non-commercial services like private aviation. Transporte aéreo is a crucial part in global connections, allowing fast and efficient journeys over long distances which would be otherwise time-consuming or impossible.
Example sentences with transporte aéreo →transporte de mercancías
transport of goods
The Spanish phrase 'transporte de mercancías' translates to 'transport of goods' in English. This term is commonly used in logistics and trade, and it refers to the action of moving, warehousing, and delivering goods from one place to another. It includes the transportation of all types of goods, such as raw materials, semi-finished, and finished goods, via various means of transport such as by sea, air, rail or road.
Example sentences with transporte de mercancías →