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Frequently Mistranslated English Terms

English Spanish Equivalent

Access [v]

Broadvision (Portal) Acceder a- NEVER

accesar

Act [n], when referring to a law - No Child

Left Behind Act

Ley o Proyecto de Ley; NEVERacta

American [adj.] Estadounidense, less desirable,

norteamericano; NEVERamericano

Authoritative[adj.] Confiable According to the Real

Academia Espaola Autoritativo is hardly

used.

Application [n] Solicitud

Apply [v] to a job, or for a license, etc.] Solicitar o postularNEVERaplicar

Apply [v] to a [noun] (Ex: This benefit

applies to full-time employees)

In this case the verb aplicar should be used

in the reflexive form

Este beneficio se aplica a los empleados a

tiempo completo NEVEREste beneficio

aplica a los empleados a tiempo completo

Other ways of translating this sentence are:

Este beneficio es para empleados a tiempocompleto; o Los empleados a tiempo

completo tienen este beneficio.

Circle [v] (when used as a verb in a

sentence such as: circle the correct

answer)

Action verb in Spanish + crculo, such

as, encerrar en un crculo la respuesta

correcta NEVERcircular when used in

this context.

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English Spanish Equivalent

Comprehensive, [n] Completo, extensivo, amplio NEVER

comprensivo

Directions, [n] as in driving directions,

directions to a place, etc.

Instrucciones, indicaciones NEVER

direcciones

Discrimination, [n] Discriminacin, NEVERdiscrimen

Fact Sheet [n] Hoja de datos, planilla de datos

Federal government, [n] Gobierno federal, estatal y/o local

(Gobierno in Spanish should be capitalized,

but not federal, estatal o local). See the

Diccionario panhispnico de dudas online.

Write the term gobierno in the search box

for capitalization rules of this word.

File [v] (as in to file taxes, file a story, etc.) Declarar, presentar

File has many meanings, depending on use,the example only pertains to the use

described.

Form [n] (as in complete this form)

Preferred word is Formulario (Llene este

formulario)

Guidelines [n] Directrices, also directivas, pautas, normas

Launch [v] (when used with a program,

initiative, website, new feature, etc.)

Lanzar, Inaugurar, iniciar, estrenar, activar,

presentar, introducir al mercado, poner en

marcha, etc. lanzar is by no means the

only translation for this term

Learn more about[exp.]

just learned that[exp.]

Informar(se), enterar(se), tomar

conocimiento de conjugate accordingly.

http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/html/cabecera.htmhttp://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/html/cabecera.htmhttp://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/html/cabecera.htmhttp://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/html/cabecera.htmhttp://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/html/cabecera.htm

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English Spanish Equivalent

Qualify [v] (people who qualify for a

program, a job, etc.)

Estar capacitado, calificado para. Reunir

los requisitos para un programa, oasistencia NEVERCALIFICAR (Ella

califica para el prstamoincorrect use)

Raise awareness [exp.]

Concientizar al pblico (widely used)

Require [v]

Pedir, exigir; necesitar

Requirement [n] Requisito; requerimiento, necesidad

Select [v]

Seleccionar, NEVERselectar

Selected list [n] Lista selectiva; Listado selectivo

Selection guidelines [n} Criterio o criterios de seleccin

Submit [v] (as in submit an e-mail orsubmit a paper) Enviar o presentar un trabajo o un

documento NEVERsometer

Suggestion [v]

Sugerencia, recomendacin, NEVER

sugestin

Surgeon General [n]

Director de Salud Pblica - NEVER

Cirujano General

Abbreviations Key

v: verb

n: noun

adj.: adjective

exp.: expression

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=concientizar+del+cancerhttp://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=concientizar+del+cancer