C1 · 50 words
Register and tone in Spanish
The same thing said politely, curtly, officially, warmly, ironically.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
El desparpajo is one of the words that make a bilingual dictionary look thin. It is the ease of somebody who speaks up with no trace of embarrassment: a child answering an adult, a witness who is not cowed by the court, a shop assistant telling you exactly what she thinks of the shirt. English offers self-possession, nerve, breeziness, cheek — and each of them adds something the Spanish does not say. Nerve is brave, cheek is rude, breeziness is careless. Contestó con desparpajo means she answered without hesitating and without apologising for it, and the word is usually said with admiration.
The words
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Verb (1)
desentonarto strike the wrong noteVerbC1
La foto desentona en esa página.The photograph strikes the wrong note on that page.
Adjective (1)
Grammar for these: Agreement: gender and number · Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel
despectivolooking down on somebodyAdjectiveC1
El apodo era despectivo.The nickname was looking down on him.
Phrase (17)
el registro lingüísticothe level of language usedPhraseC1
Cambió de registro lingüístico a mitad de frase.He changed the level of language halfway through the sentence.
el tono condescendientethe tone that talks downPhraseC1
Habló en tono condescendiente sin darse cuenta.He spoke in a tone that talked down without noticing it.
el tono cortantethe cutting tonePhraseC1
Respondió en tono cortante.She answered in a cutting tone.
el tono conciliadorthe tone that makes peacePhraseC1
Terminó en tono conciliador.He finished in a tone that made peace.
la fórmula de cortesíathe polite formulaPhraseC1
La fórmula de cortesía alarga la frase a propósito.The polite formula lengthens the sentence on purpose.
el eufemismo administrativothe official way of not saying itPhraseC1
El eufemismo administrativo esconde un despido.The official way of not saying it hides a dismissal.
la ironía finathe irony too fine to catchPhraseC1
La ironía fina pasa desapercibida.The irony too fine to catch goes unnoticed.
pasar desapercibidoto go unnoticedPhraseC1
El detalle pasó desapercibido.The detail went unnoticed.
el ampuloso estilothe inflated stylePhraseC1
El ampuloso estilo cansa a la tercera página.The inflated style tires you by the third page.
la marca de oralidadthe trace of the spoken in the writtenPhraseC1
La marca de oralidad delata el borrador.The trace of the spoken gives the draft away.
la modulación de la vozthe way the voice rises and fallsPhraseC1
La modulación de la voz cambia el sentido.The way the voice rises and falls changes the sense.
la pausa retóricathe pause left on purposePhraseC1
La pausa retórica dura un segundo largo.The pause left on purpose lasts a long second.
el diminutivo afectivothe friendly little endingPhraseC1
El diminutivo afectivo suaviza la petición.The friendly little ending softens the request.
el tratamiento de respetothe respectful form of addressPhraseC1
El tratamiento de respeto se pierde en dos frases.The respectful form of address is lost within two sentences.
el rodeo verbalthe way round the thingPhraseC1
Dejó los rodeos verbales y fue al grano.She dropped the way round the thing and got to the point.
ir al granoto get to the pointPhraseC1
Fue al grano en la primera frase.He got to the point in the first sentence.
la adecuación al oyentethe fitting of it to whoever is listeningPhraseC1
La adecuación al oyente decide si se entiende.The fitting of it to whoever is listening decides whether it is understood.
Noun (m) (14)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el circunloquiothe going all round the subjectNoun (m)C1
Se perdió en circunloquios.She lost herself in going all round the subject.
el sarcasmothe sarcasmNoun (m)C1
El sarcasmo no funciona por correo.Sarcasm does not work by e-mail.
el coloquialismothe everyday word out of placeNoun (m)C1
Un coloquialismo en un informe desentona.An everyday word out of place in a report jars.
el vulgarismothe coarse expressionNoun (m)C1
El vulgarismo no siempre es un error.The coarse expression is not always a mistake.
el cultismothe learned word out of LatinNoun (m)C1
El cultismo viene directo del latín.The learned word comes straight out of Latin.
el arcaísmothe word left over from an older timeNoun (m)C1
Es un arcaísmo que sobrevive en refranes.It is a word left over from an older time that survives in proverbs.
el neologismothe word only just madeNoun (m)C1
El neologismo entró en el diccionario en dos años.The word only just made got into the dictionary in two years.
el énfasisthe stress laid on somethingNoun (m)C1
Puso el énfasis en la segunda parte.She laid the stress on the second part.
el aumentativothe ending that makes it biggerNoun (m)C1
El aumentativo puede sonar despectivo.The ending that makes it bigger can sound dismissive.
el apodothe nicknameNoun (m)C1
El apodo se le quedó de por vida.The nickname stayed with him for life.
el desparpajothe unabashed ease in speakingNoun (m)C1
Contestó con desparpajo.She answered with unabashed ease.
el subtextowhat the text says underneathNoun (m)C1
El subtexto dice lo contrario.What the text says underneath is the opposite.
el sobreentendidowhat both sides take as said underneathNoun (m)C1
Vivimos de sobreentendidos.We live on what both sides take as said.
el laconismothe saying of very littleNoun (m)C1
Su laconismo se toma por desinterés.Her saying of very little is taken for lack of interest.
Noun (f) (17)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la franquezathe plain speakingNoun (f)C1
Agradezco su franqueza.I am grateful for your plain speaking.
la brusquedadthe abruptnessNoun (f)C1
La brusquedad no era intencionada.The abruptness was not meant.
la sutilezathe fine distinctionNoun (f)C1
La sutileza se pierde por escrito.The fine distinction is lost in writing.
la mordacidadthe bite in what somebody saysNoun (f)C1
Su mordacidad le costó el puesto.The bite in what he said cost him his job.
la solemnidadthe solemnityNoun (f)C1
La solemnidad del acto sobraba.The solemnity of the occasion was too much.
la llanezathe plain, level way of speakingNoun (f)C1
Habla con una llaneza que se agradece.She speaks in a plain, level way that is a relief.
la afectaciónthe affectationNoun (f)C1
La afectación se nota enseguida.The affectation shows at once.
la deferenciathe deference shownNoun (f)C1
Lo trató con deferencia excesiva.He treated him with excessive deference.
la familiaridadthe familiarityNoun (f)C1
La familiaridad llegó demasiado pronto.The familiarity came far too soon.
la contenciónthe holding backNoun (f)C1
La contención del texto sorprende.The holding back in the text is surprising.
la vehemenciathe vehemenceNoun (f)C1
Defendió su postura con vehemencia.He defended his position with vehemence.
la crudezathe harshness of an unsoftened accountNoun (f)C1
La crudeza del informe incomodó a todos.The harshness of the report made everybody uncomfortable.
la ambivalenciathe pull in two directionsNoun (f)C1
La ambivalencia del final es intencionada.The pull in two directions at the end is deliberate.
la insinuaciónthe hint droppedNoun (f)C1
La insinuación bastó para entenderlo.The hint dropped was enough to make it clear.
la locuacidadthe readiness to keep talkingNoun (f)C1
Su locuacidad llena cualquier silencio.His readiness to keep talking fills any silence.
la elocuenciathe skill in talkingNoun (f)C1
La elocuencia no es lo mismo que la razón.Skill in talking is not the same as being right.
la naturalidadthe ease of somebody being themselvesNoun (f)C1
Habla con naturalidad delante de cien personas.She speaks with the ease of somebody being herself in front of a hundred people.
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This list belongs to Language and expression — 22 lists and 1 102 words that can also be practised as a whole.