📖LearnModule 14 · Lesson 22 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, continuedUnit 5 · El matiz
Las palabras que el inglés no tiene
Module 14 of the free Spanish course (CEFR C2, continued), lesson 22 of 30: Some Spanish words carry a whole idea. 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
la sobremesa
the lingering talk after a meal
lah soh-breh-MEH-sah
madrugar
to get up very early
mah-droo-GAR
estrenar
to use for the first time
ehs-treh-NAR
trasnochar
to stay up all night
trahs-noh-CHAR
friolento
quick to feel the cold
fryoh-LEHN-toh
anteayer
the day before yesterday
ahn-teh-ah-YEHR
una idea entera
a whole idea
OO-nah ee-DEH-ah ehn-TEH-rah
intraducible
untranslatable
een-trah-doo-SEE-bleh
la pérdida en la traducción
the loss in translation
lah PEHR-dee-dah ehn lah trah-dook-SYOHN
yo madrugo los lunes
I get up early on Mondays
yoh mah-DROO-goh lohs LOO-nehs
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
Some Spanish words carry a whole idea. La sobremesa — the hour of talk that follows a meal, at the table. Madrugar — to get up very early. Estrenar — to wear or use something for the first time. Trasnochar — to stay up all night.
Y también · And also
Anteayer is another: the day before yesterday, in one word. And friolento (friolero in Spain) names a person who is always cold. English needs a clause for each of these, and the clause loses the word.
Ojo · Watch out
la sobremesa is the talk after the meal, not a tablecloth; estrenar is to use for the FIRST time — estreno el vestido. madrugar changes g to gu before e: madrugué. friolento is Latin American; Spain says friolero.
madrugar, presente — the table
yo madrugo · tú madrugas · él/ella/usted madruga · nosotros madrugamos · ustedes madrugan · ellos/ellas madrugan
Do it now — on paper
Say all 10 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the Spanish spelling alone — begin with la sobremesa.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the Spanish.
Write out madrugar, presente 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.