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"Escurrir" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to drain", and "colar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to strain". Learn more about the difference between "escurrir" and "colar" below.
escurrir(
ehs
-
koo
-
rreer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to drain
Después de escurrir la pasta ponle agua fría.After draining the pasta, rinse it with cold water.
c. to wring
Escurrí las playeras antes de colgarlas a secar.I wrung the shirts before hanging them to dry.
d. to wring out
La lavadora escurre la ropa al final del ciclo.The washing machine wrings out the clothes at the end of the cycle.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
escurrirse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
b. to drip-dry
¡Va a llover! Mete a la casa la ropa que está escurriéndose afuera en el tendedero.It's about to rain! Get the clothes that are drip-drying on the clothesline inside the house.
4. (to glide)
5. (to escape)
a. to slip away
Desafortunadamente, el ladrón se le escurrió a la policía.Unfortunately, the thief slipped away from the police.
a. to slip out
Se me escurrió un comentario hiriente e inmediatamente me arrepentí.A hurtful comment slipped out and I immediately regretted it.
colar(
koh
-
lahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to drain)
a. to pass off
Alguien le coló un billete de cien dólares falso al cajero de la tienda.Somebody passed a fake hundred-dollar bill to the store cashier.
b. to palm off
Me di cuenta que me habían colado una falsificación.I realized I'd been palmed off with a fake.
a. to sneak in
Estoy segura de que podremos colarlo en la recepción sin problema.I'm sure we'll have no problem sneaking him into the reception.
4. (to pretend)
a. to make up
Mi amigo nos coló el cuento de que se había ganado la lotería.My friend made up a story that he had won the lottery.
5. (to whiten)
a. to bleach
Se manchó tu camisa blanca. La voy a poner a colar.Your white shirt is stained. I'm going to bleach it.
6. (metallurgy)
a. to cast
Es preferible colar solamente aluminio nuevo para producir sartenes de alta calidad.It is preferable to cast only new aluminum in order to produce high-quality frying pans.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
7. (colloquial) (to be believed)
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.
Dile a tu mamá que vienes a estudiar, a ver si cuela y te deja salir.Tell your mom you're coming over to study; maybe she'll buy it and let you go out.
Mejor invéntate otra cosa; yo creo que tu historia no va a colar.You'd better come up with something else; I don't think your story's going to wash.
colarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
8. (colloquial) (to enter furtively)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to sneak in
Nos colamos por la puerta de atrás y vimos la película sin pagar.We sneaked in through the back door and watched the movie without paying.
b. to slip in
Llegué tarde a casa, pero me colé por la ventana y mis papás nunca se enteraron.I got home very late, but I slipped in through a window and my parents never found out.
c. to crash (colloquial) (transitive)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
La fiesta iba muy bien hasta que unos tipos desconocidos se colaron.The party was going well until some random guys crashed it.
a. to cut in line (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
¡Llevo horas haciendo fila y llega él y se cuela!I've been in line for hours, and he just gets here and cuts in line!
b. to jump the queue (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
Hay mucha gente antes que nosotros, ¿nos colamos?There are too many people in front of us; shall we jump the queue?
10. (colloquial) (to fall in love) (Spain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Spain
a. to fall for somebody
¡Es tan guapo! Me colé por él nada más conocerlo.He is so handsome! I fell for him when we first met.
11. (colloquial) (to make a mistake) (Spain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Spain
a. to get wrong (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
No estudié y me colé en una sección entera del examen.I didn't study and got an entire section of the test wrong.
