La Palabra del Día : frenar

Question

frenar - (transitive verb) to brake; to check, to curb, to slow down

Post your sentences in Spanish and English, then vote for the ones you like. The best answer will be chosen tomorrow on the basis of the greatest number of votes and language correctness.

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And don't forget to correct your posts as suggested. Do NOT use subject pronouns!

Cuando freno mi moto, hace un sonido de chillido

When I brake my bike, it makes a squealing sound

Please correct my English and Spanish - Vaanz, Nov 30, 2010

Clever vaanz. - ray76, Nov 30, 2010

Rather than 'hace un sonido de chillido', which is ok, it's more common to say things like 'tengo un chirrido en los frenos', or 'me chirría el freno de la bici'. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 1

Algunas señales de tráfico pueden ser muy eficaces para frenar el tráfico.

Some road signs can be very effective to slow traffic.

'pueden ser muy eficaces..' - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Oops! Sorry! I'm on the edge of my skill level :) - 0066c384, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 2

Tenemos lo que necesitamos para frenar el calentamiento global, salvo la voluntad política.

( We have what we need to curb global warming, except the political will. )

Please forgive and correct my mistakes..

.. palabras .. palabras ..

Answer 3

The bad weather has curbed the scuba diving for today.

El mal tiempo ha frenado el buceo por hoy.

'por hoy' - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Ok. Cats in scuba gear always get my vote. - amykay, Nov 30, 2010

A box of Band-Aids for the person who put this outfit on a cat. - Leatha, Nov 30, 2010

jajaja good point! it's gotta be photoshopped. - amykay, Nov 30, 2010

Oh no! It only took me a minute to get him into it. lol - Brynleigh, Nov 30, 2010

Gracias, Billstpor. - Brynleigh, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 4

La primera virtud es frenar la lengua.

'The first virtue is to control the tongue.'

Answer 5

Esté listo para frenar a causa de los ciervos. Este año hay muchos cerca de la camino.

Be ready to brake due to the deer. This year, there are many near the road..

'para frenar a los ciervos' means 'to brake the deer'. You need to say 'para frenar a causa de los ciervos' or 'para frenar por culpa de los ciervos', although the latter almost suggests that the deer are guilty of something. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Also, 'del camino', and it would be preferable to put 'este año' at the beginning of the sentence: 'Este año hay muchos cerca del camino' - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Gracias, Billstpor...it sounds much better now. - sanlee, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 6

Frenar el deseo de una niña de estar a la moda, es un ejercicio inútil.

To curb the desire a girl has to be fashionable , is an exercise in futility.

'Frenar el deseo de una niña de estar a la moda, es un ejercicio inútil' (as a sidenote.. yuck!) - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Thanks bill. You suprise me William , not your taste i take it , mine neither , not very feminine. - ray76, Nov 30, 2010

Somebody needs to put the "brakes" on these outfits! Yikes! - amykay, Nov 30, 2010

It's not just un-feminine.. I've never quite understood why anyone would like to use what most people would call a costume as their regular outfit :s - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

It's all about establishing individual identity. One of the basic tasks of adolescence. - Leatha, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 7

Algunos países quieren que China frene la devaluación artificial de su moneda.

Some countries want China to curb the artificial devaluation of its currency.

Answer 8

Cómo decir 'frenar' en seis idiomas de color distintos

How to say "brake" in six different color languages

(for those who think that learning Spanish isn't challanging enough)

'en seis idiomas de color distintos' ('diversos' means 'diverse') - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 9

Algunos aviones usan paracaídas para frenar.

Some airplanes use parachutes to brake.

"Algunos aviones...." - 00e657d4, Nov 30, 2010

Gracias, Guillermo! - revmaf, Nov 30, 2010

.. and 'paracaídas', with tilde. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Ah, missed that, thanks, I'll fix it! - revmaf, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 10

Cortando la parte superior del tallo del banana, se frena la maduración de la fruta.

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Cutting off the top stem of the banana, slows down the ripening process of the fruit.

Cortar la parte superior del tallo de la banana, frena la maduración de la fruta. "Banano" is the tree. "Banana" is the fruit. - 00e657d4, Nov 30, 2010

Gracias Guillermo2. - Rolest, Nov 30, 2010

Also, if you use a gerund in that clause 'Cortando..' you can't use it as a subject, so you need to modify the predicate and make it an impersonal one: 'Cortando.. , se frena..'. If you use the infinitive, then 'Cortar.., frena..' is correct instead. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Gracias Billstpor. - Rolest, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 11

Es muy importante frenar la máquina antes de viajar

It's very important to check the engine before travelling

Nope, that meaning of 'to check' isn't translated as 'frenar'. It would be when you say things like 'Pro-Government forces checked the advance of the rebel army' - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 12

Papá, no me importa lo que digas. ¡Tienes que frenar ahora mismo!

Dad, I don't care what you say! You have to slow down right now!

'no me importa lo que digas' - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 13

Ningún obstáculo me va a frenar al alcanzar mis metas.

No obstacle will stop me from reaching my goals.

Ningún obstáculo....... - 00e657d4, Nov 30, 2010

Thanks, Guillermo:) - luz_72, Nov 30, 2010

As strange as it may seem, it would be better to say 'nada me va a frenar de cara a alcanzar mis metas', as long as you want to keep 'frenar'. Normally you would say 'nada me va a impedir alcanzar mis metas'. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 14

Frenan como el grupo Brand Nubian.
Slow down like the group Brand Nubian.
Slow Down

'Frena, como el grupo Brand Nubian' (or 'frene' if you prefer usted) - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 15

Freno por gatitos monos.

I brake for cute cats.

![alt text][1]

[1]: myspace images

'Freno por gatitos monos' (I'm not exactly happy about this one, but we don't have bumper stickers like that, so I'm improvising.. :p) - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010

gracias Bill. "mono" for cute is a new one to me, I had to look it up. I would have misread it as "monkey cats"! - amykay, Nov 30, 2010

Monkey cats is funnier. - Leatha, Nov 30, 2010

Yes, 'guapo' is an adjective usually reserved for human beings. And 'cute' is usually translated as 'mono', and used both for humans and animals. - bill1111, Nov 30, 2010