Spanish Vocabulary: Key Terms for Communication and Actions

abastecer

to supply

abogar (por)

advocate (for/on behalf of)

abordar

to tackle, address

acercarse (a)

to move closer (to)

acertar (ie)

to get right, guess correctly

acontecimiento (el)

event/occurrence

acostumbrarse a

to get used to

actual, actualmente

current, currently

acuerdo (el)

agreement/deal

adivinar

to guess

adornar (el adorno)

to decorate, dress up

adquirir

to acquire

advertir (la advertencia)

to warn

afirmar

to assert/declare

agobiar(se)

to overwhelm

agotarse (estar agotad@)

to run out; exhaust

agradecer

to thank

agregar/ añadir

to add

agua potable

drinkable water

aguantar

to tolerate; put up with

agudeza (la); agudizar

intensity; acuity to sharpen/make more intense

ahorrar (los ahorros)

to save (money/resources)

ajeno/a

of/ belong to another (foreign)

albergar

to shelter/house

alboroto (el)

uproar, chaos

alcanzar (el alcance; accesible)

to reach

alegrarse (de)

to be happy that

alejarse de

to move farther away from

alimentar (la alimentación; los alimentos)

feed, provide nutrition

alma (el)

soul

amenazar (la amenaza)

to threaten

analfabetismo (el); analfabet@

illiteracy ; illiterate

apatía (la)

apathy

apenas

hardly, barely, just

apoderarse (de)

to seize; take control

aportar (el aporto)

to contribute

apoyar (el apoyo)

to support

aprendizaje (el)

learning

aprobar (la aprobación)

to approve

aprovecharse (de)

to take advantage of (negative)

aquejar

to trouble, afflict

aranceles (las tarifas)

tariffs

arrecife (el)

reef

arreglar/remediar

to fix, mend

arrepentirse (arrepentid@)

to repent; regret

arriesgar(se) (el riesgo)

to risk

arrugas (las)

wrinkles

asomarse

to stick out

asequible

affordable

asunto (el)

the matter, issue

atrever(se) (a) (atrevid@)

to dare (to...) (bold/daring)

auge (el)

the peak, surge

aumentar (el aumento)

raise/increase

autoestima (la)

self-esteem

avergonzarse (una vergüenza)

to embarrass

bajar; la bajada

to lower/go down; the decrease

barrera (la)

barrier

barato/a

cheap, inexpensive

bastar (bastante, basta)

to be enough

beca (el/la becario/a)

scholarship (scholarship recipient)

beneficiar

to benefit

bolsa (la)

stock market (also pocketbook)

bondad (la)

goodness; kindness

brindar

to offer, provide

bullicio (el)

racket, noise

billetes / boletos (entradas) *de ida y vuelta

tickets (for a show, event, etc.) *round trip

brillar (el brillo)

to shine

camino (el), el sendero

path

cara, rostro

face

caro/a

expensive

carencia (carecer de...; carente de)

the lack of (to be lacking)

caridad (la) (la limosna)

charity

carrera (la)

career; major (in college) race

ceder

to yield

cifras (las); los datos

figures, stats

ciudadanía (el ciudadano/la ciudadana)

citizenship (citizen)

comprobar

to prove

conceder (otorgar, brindar)

to give, award

concertar

to set up; arrange; to agree upon

concordar (en)

to agree

concursante (concursar; el concurso)

contest participant

condenar

to condemn, sentence, convict

confiar (la confianza)

to trust

conjunto (el)

collection/combination of

contraseña/ la clave

password

contratar (a tiempo parcial/a tiempo completo)

to hire

contundente

convincing, forceful, blunt

convocatoria (la)

call for/request

cosecha (la)

harvest

crecer (el crecimiento)

to grow

creencias personales

personal beliefs

criar criarse

to raise to grow up; mature

cuenta (la)

account

culpa (echarle la culpa)

blame

cura (el) / el sacerdote

priest

dañar (dañoso)

to damage, harm

debilitar (débil; la debilidad)

to weaken

declive (el)

decline

dejar dejar de + inf

to leave behind; to allow/permit to stop doing something

delito (cometern un delito)

crime