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"Él/ella/usted tira" is a form of "tirar", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to throw". "Afloja" is a form of "aflojar", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to loosen". Learn more about the difference between "él/ella/usted tira" and "afloja" below.
tirar(
tee
-
rahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to propel)
a. to throw
Si tiras una moneda al pozo, puedes pedir un deseo.If you throw a coin in the well, you can make a wish.
a. to waste
Comprar productos de mala calidad es tirar el dinero.Buying bad quality products is wasting your money.
b. to squander
Los humanos están tirando todos los recursos del planeta.Humans are squandering the planet's resources.
a. to knock down
Van a tirar la antigua central eléctrica.The old power plant is going to be knocked down.
b. to knock over
Dejen de empujar, van a tirar la mesa.Stop pushing; you are going to knock the table over.
7. (printing)
a. to print
Han tirado diez mil ejemplares de la novela.They have printed ten thousand copies of the novel.
b. to run off
La editorial tiró mil ejemplares de mi libro.The publisher ran off a thousand copies of my book.
8. (to trace)
a. to draw
El arquitecto tiró una línea recta con una regla.The architect drew a straight line with a ruler.
9. (to attack)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
No le tire patadas a su hermano.Don't kick your brother.
Su perro me tiró un mordisco.His dog snapped at me.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
10. (to draw nearer)
11. (to attract)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
No le tira estudiar medicina.He is not interested in studying medicine.
Las fiestas ya no me tiran.Parties don't appeal to me anymore.
12. (to be taut)
a. to be tight
Esta falda me tira en la cadera, me compraré una talla más grande.This skirt is tight at the hip; I'm going to buy a bigger size.
14. (sports)
a. to shoot
Tras recibir un pase, el jugador tiró desde la línea de tres puntos sin éxito.After catching a pass, the player shot from the three-point line unsuccessfully.
15. (to work)
16. (to survive)
a. to get by
Tenemos que tirar con muy poco hasta que cobre.We have to get by with very little until payday.
a. to go
Para llegar a la panadería, tire por esta calle hasta el cruce.To get to the bakery, go down this street up to the intersection.
18. (to tend)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
El plato tiraba a dulce más que nada.The dish was more sweet than anything else.
Tienes que beberte el té cuando esté tirando a frío.You have to drink the tea when it is cooling down.
19. (vulgar) (to have sexual intercourse) (Latin America)
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
tirarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to throw oneself
Pensó en suicidarse tirándose de un puente.He thought of committing suicide by throwing himself off a bridge.
21. (to pass time)
22. (vulgar) (to have sexual intercourse)
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
23. (colloquial) (to release gas)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
El bebé se tiró un eructo tras tomarse su biberón.The baby burped after having his bottle.
La primera vez que se tiró un pedo delante de su novio se avergonzó.The first time she farted in front of her boyfriend, she was embarrassed.
aflojar(
ah
-
floh
-
hahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to relax
Hay que aflojar las reglas para que puedan entrar más refugiados en el país.We need to relax the rules so that more refugees can enter the country.
3. (colloquial) (to hand money over)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to part with
Susana no aflojó ni un centavo para la fiesta de Halloween.Susana didn't part with a single cent for the Halloween party.
b. to fork out (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Hemos aflojado grandes cantidades de dinero para salvar la tienda.We've forked out large sums of money to save our shop.
c. to cough up (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Ojalá que el banco afloje el dinero para mi crédito.Let's hope the bank coughs up the money for my loan.
a. to slow down
Lucía aflojó el paso en los últimos kilómetros de la carrera.Lucia slowed down her pace in the last few kilometers of the race.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. to ease off (storm, rain, snow)
Llovió el día entero hasta que la tormenta por fin aflojó durante la noche.It rained all day until the storm finally eased off in the night.
c. to drop (temperature)
Cuando bajó el sol, la temperatura aflojó.When the sun set, the temperature dropped.
d. to come down (fever or temperature)
Espero que la temperatura de mi hijo afloje rápidamente después de tomar la medicina.Hopefully my son's temperature will come down quickly after taking the medicine.
e. to die down (wind)
Voy a esperar a que el viento afloje para sentarme a leer afuera.I'm going to wait for the wind to die down before I go outside to read.
a. to give in
No aflojes ante las críticas y sigue adelante.Don't give in to criticism; just keep on with what you're doing.
aflojarse
A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., Miguel se lava.).
a. to loosen
Apenas aterrizó el avión, los pasajeros se aflojaron los cinturones.As soon as the plane landed, the passengers loosened their seat belts.
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
b. to work loose
¿Podrías apretar los tornillos de la repisa que se aflojaron?Could you tighten the screws on that shelf? The've worked loose.
c. to slacken
El nudo no se afloja, y no lo puedo deshacer.The knot won't slacken, so I can't untie it.
9. (colloquial) (medicine) (Latin America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. to get diarrhea (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
Juan comió algo que estaba malo, y se le aflojó el estómago.Juan ate something bad and got diarrhea.
b. to get diarrhoea (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
Cuando me pongo nerviosa, se me afloja el vientre.When I'm nervous, I get diarrhoea.
c. to get the runs (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Comí demasiadas ciruelas, y se me aflojó la panza.I ate too many prunes and got the runs.
