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"Defer" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "aplazar", and "hold up" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "sostener". Learn more about the difference between "defer" and "hold up" below.
defer(
dih
-
fuhr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. aplazar
The accountant advised the board to defer major business expenses until January.El contador aconsejó al consejo que aplazara los gastos mayores del negocio hasta enero.
b. posponer
Regulators have proposed deferring bank executives' bonus pay for four years.Los reguladores han propuesto posponer los pagos de bonificaciones a los ejecutivos bancarios durante cuatro años.
c. diferir
The decision as to which gardening service to hire has been deferred to the next meeting.La decisión sobre cuál servicio de jardinería contratar se ha diferido hasta la próxima reunión.
d. postergar
The union voted to defer the strike for a week to have an opportunity to negotiate.El sindicato votó por postergar la huelga una semana para tener la oportunidad de negociar.
a. conceder una prórroga a
The government defers the conscription of citizens who are permanently residing abroad until repatriation.El gobierno le concede una prórroga a los ciudadanos que residen permanentemente en el extranjero hasta su repatriación.
b. dar una prórroga a
As Bob was the sole financial support for his family, the military deferred his conscription.Como Bob era el único sostén económico de la familia, el ejército le dio una prórroga a su servicio militar obligatorio.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. deferir a
The party decided to defer to the will of the voters.El partido decidió deferir a la voluntad de los votantes.
hold up(
hold
uhp
)A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
1. (to support)
a. sostener
The pillars that hold up the bridge need to be repaired after the earthquake.Es necesario reparar los pilares que sostienen el puente a causa del temblor.
b. soportar
The buttresses hold up the cathedral dome.Los contrafuertes soportan la cúpula de la catedral.
c. sujetar
The studs that hold up the wall were damaged by termites.Los puntales que sujetan la pared fueron dañados por las termitas.
d. servir de soporte a
Dozens of columns hold up the church's roof.Docenas de columnas sirven de soporte al techo de la iglesia.
2. (to raise)
a. levantar
Hold up your right hand and repeat after me.Levante la mano derecha y repita después de mí.
b. alzar
Sarah held her trophy up for everyone to see.Sarah alzó el trofeo para que pudiera verlo todo el mundo.
c. mantener erguido (head)
Chris was so sad that he could barely hold up his head.Chris estaba tan triste que apenas podía mantener la cabeza erguida.
d. poner (to the light)
A secret message appeared when she held the envelope up to the light.Al poner el sobre a contraluz, apareció un mensaje secreto.
3. (to delay)
a. retrasar
The traffic from the road construction held me up.Me retrasó el tráfico de las obras de la carretera.
b. entretener (a person)
They must have been held up at the supermarket.Algo debe de haberlos entretenido en el supermercado.
c. entorpecer (progress)
That old dispute has been holding up the negotiations.Esa vieja disputa ha estado entorpeciendo las negociaciones.
d. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Day in, day out, we're held up for hours in traffic.Un día sí y otro también, nos pasamos horas parados en el tráfico.
The plane's take-off was held up by strong wings.El despegue del avión experimentó un retraso debido a los fuertes vientos.
4. (to rob)
5. (to expose)
a. poner
That was cruel. You shouldn't have held her up to ridicule like that.Eso fue cruel. No deberías haberla puesto en ridículo de esa forma.
An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g., Everybody please stand up.).
b. resistir
My new watch holds up under 50 meters of water.Mi reloj nuevo resiste a 50 metros bajo el agua.
c. mantenerse firme
She held up well under fire, and made her critics look like fools.Se mantuvo firme frente al ataque de sus críticos, dejándolos por tontos.
a. resultar válido
His arguments don't hold up on close examination.Al examinarlos de cerca, sus argumentos no resultan válidos.
b. sostenerse
The district attorney's case doesn't hold up.Los argumentos del fiscal no se sostienen.
c. quedar en pie
We'll see whose theory, yours or mine, holds up after the election results are all reported.Veremos qué teoría queda en pie, la tuya o la mía, cuando se tengan todos los resultados de las elecciones.
a. seguir bueno (weather)
Hopefully the weather will hold up for this Saturday's baseball game.Esperemos que el tiempo siga bueno para el partido de béisbol del sábado.
