📖LearnModule 13 · Lesson 23 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, first halfUnit 5 · Las figuras retóricas
El eufemismo
Module 13 of the free Spanish course (CEFR C2, first half), lesson 23 of 30: Euphemism in Spanish is institutional as much as polite. On this page: 10 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's QR.
The words
Spanish
English
Say it
el ajuste de plantilla
the staff cutback (layoffs)
ehl ah-HOOS-teh deh plahn-TEE-yah
las personas de bajos recursos
people of limited means
lahs pehr-SOH-nahs deh BAH-hohs rreh-KOOR-sohs
nos dejó
he passed away
nohs deh-HOH
el eufemismo
the euphemism
ehl eh-oo-feh-MEES-moh
la reestructuración
the restructuring
lah rreh-ehs-trook-too-rah-SYOHN
dejar
to leave (someone)
deh-HAR
la pérdida del empleo
the job loss
lah PEHR-dee-dah dehl ehm-PLEH-oh
institucional
institutional
eens-tee-too-syoh-NAHL
la empresa
the company
lah ehm-PREH-sah
ella dejó la empresa
she left the company
EH-yah deh-HOH lah ehm-PREH-sah
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
La regla · The rule
Euphemism in Spanish is institutional as much as polite. Un ajuste de plantilla means layoffs. Las personas de bajos recursos means the poor. Nos dejó means he died.
Y también · And also
Reading these accurately matters, because the euphemism is often the only word used. A news report that says reestructuración is telling you about job losses and expecting you to know.
Ojo · Watch out
un ajuste de plantilla means layoffs; nos dejó means he died; reestructuración usually means job losses. The euphemism is often the only word used, so translate it. dejar here is to leave someone; dejar de is to stop.
dejar, pretérito — the table
yo dejé · tú dejaste · él/ella/usted dejó · nosotros dejamos · ustedes dejaron · ellos/ellas dejaron
Do it now — on paper
Say all 10 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the Spanish spelling alone — begin with el ajuste de plantilla.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the Spanish.
Write out dejar, pretérito in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The Spanish Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.