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"Hold up" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "sostener", and "slow" is an adjective which is often translated as "lento". Learn more about the difference between "hold up" and "slow" below.
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.
slow(
slo
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
4. (boring)
5. (culinary)
a. flojo
Our business is usually slow in December, so we give the employees the whole month off.Nuestro negocio generalmente está flojo en diciembre, así que les damos el mes entero libre a los empleados.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
7. (slowly)
b. lentamente
Magda has been walking slow since her foot surgery.Magda ha estado caminando lentamente desde la cirugía del pie.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. reducir la velocidad
The ship slowed near the harbor.El barco redujo la velocidad cerca del puerto.
b. aflojar el paso
The couple slowed to smell the flowers in the park.La pareja aflojó el paso para oler las flores del parque.
c. disminuir la velocidad
The truck slowed and stopped at the lights.El camión disminuyó la velocidad y paró en el semáforo.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. entorpecer
She slowed the negotiations by being unreasonable.Entorpeció las negociaciones con su actitud tan poco razonable.
b. retrasar
Soluble fiber slows the absorption of glucose.La fibra soluble retrasa la absorción de la glucosa.
