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"Sharp" is an adjective which is often translated as "afilado", and "short" is an adjective which is often translated as "corto". Learn more about the difference between "sharp" and "short" below.
sharp(
sharp
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
a. afilado
Don’t cut yourself. That knife is very sharp.No te cortes. Ese cuchillo está muy afilado.
b. filoso (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
I cut my finger on the sharp edge of a can.Me corté el dedo en el borde filoso de un bote.
2. (abrupt)
3. (culinary)
b. marcado
I use a photography application to adjust how sharp my photos are.Uso un programa de fotografía para ajustar qué tan marcado se ven mis photos.
c. claro
There was a sharp contrast between light and dark when a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds.Hubo un contraste claro entre la luz y la oscuridad cuando un rayo de sol atravesó las nubes.
a. avispado
He may be an old man, but he’s still as sharp as anyone I know.Puede que sea un anciano, pero sigue siendo tan avispado como cualquier persona que conozco.
b. perspicaz
My grandpa is very sharp. He learned how to use the Internet at 85 years old.Mi abuelo es muy perspicaz. Aprendió a usar el Internet a los 85 años.
c. agudo
Carolina is the sharpest student in her Chinese class.Carolina es la estudiante más aguda de su clase de chino.
d. despierto
What a sharp baby. I can’t believe she’s already saying mama at six months.¡Qué bebé más despierta! No puedo creer que ya está diciendo mamá a los seis meses.
7. (intense)
a. agudo
He felt a sharp pain in his back after lifting the piano.Sintió un dolor agudo en la espalda después de levantar el piano.
b. cortante
He zipped his coat to shield himself from the sharp wind.Se subió la cremallera del abrigo para protegerse del viento cortante.
c. fuerte
We had a sharp frost this morning, but with the beautiful blue sky it should melt soon.Tuvimos una helada fuerte esta mañana, pero con este hermoso cielo azul debería derretirse pronto.
d. intenso
A short but sharp heat wave is expected to produce the hottest weather in nine years.Se espera que una corta, pero intensa, ola de calor cause las temperaturas más altas de los últimos nueve años.
9. (brusque)
a. seco
Judith asked Carla how she felt, and all she said was a sharp “fine.”Judith le preguntó a Carla cómo se sentía y lo único que dijo fue un seco "bien".
b. cortante
There was clearly more to it than he let on with his sharp retort.Claramente había más de lo que daba a entender con su réplica cortante.
c. áspero
The cleric issued a sharp rebuke to the young man for his form of dress.El clérigo emitió un áspero reproche al joven por su forma de vestir.
d. severo
The sharp tone of his voice caused her to recoil slightly.El tono severo de su voz la hizo retroceder un poco.
e. mordaz
He lowered his gaze and braced himself for another sharp retort from his father.Bajó la mirada y se preparó para otra mordaz réplica de su padre.
f. afilado
A sharp tongue doesn’t mean you have a keen mind.Una lengua afilada no significa que tengas una mente aguda.
10. (senses)
a. agudo
Thanks to his sharp hearing, he was able to eavesdrop on their conversation in the next room.Gracias a su agudo oído, podía escuchar a escondidas su conversación en el cuarto de al lado.
11. (sound)
a. agudo
I was sleeping soundly when the sharp cry of the baby jolted me awake.Estaba profundamente dormido cuando el llanto agudo del bebé me despertó de repente.
12. (music)
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
14. (abruptly)
a. en curva cerrada
The road bends sharp to the right at the bottom of the hill.La carretera gira a la derecha en curva cerrada al pie de la colina.
b. en seco
Jake pulled up sharp and jumped out of his car to examine what was lying in the road.Jake se detuvo en seco y se bajó del coche de un brinco para examinar lo que había en el camino.
15. (music)
a. demasiado alto
I think you need to tune your clarinet. You're playing sharp.Creo que tienes que afinar tu clarinete. Estás tocando demasiado alto.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. subir un semitono
That was good, but you need to sharp the C in the second bar.Eso estuvo bien, pero debes subir el do un semitono en el segundo compás.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
17. (music)
a. el sostenido (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
This symbol cancels out the sharp.Este signo anula el sostenido.
short(
short
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (not long)
2. (not tall)
b. chaparro (Central America) (Mexico)
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
Regionalism used in Mexico
Hey, ask that short kid if he wants to play with us.Oye, pregúntale a ese chavo chaparro si quiere jugar con nosotros.
c. petiso (South America)
Regionalism used in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela
She's short, but fierce.Es petisa, pero feroz.
3. (brief)
a. escaso
Most of the companies are short of material.Muchas de las compañías andan escasas de material.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
7. (abruptly)
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el cortocircuito (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The sewing machine caused a short.La máquina de coser provocó un cortocircuito.
10. (film)
a. el cortometraje (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Our last short was awarded Best Picture.Nuestro último cortometraje fue galardonado Mejor Película.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
12. (to shortchange)
a. devolver de menos
They shorted me at the butcher's again.Otra vez me devolvieron de menos en la carnicería.
shorts
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
13. (clothing)
b. los shorts (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Those shorts you're wearing show too much leg.Esos shorts que llevas puestos enseñan demasiada pierna.
c. los pantalones cortos (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I bought a pair of shorts for my trip to the beach.Me compré unos pantalones cortos para mi viaje a la playa.
d. el chor (M) (Caribbean) (Central America) (Venezuela)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in the Caribbean: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
Regionalism used in Venezuela
I always wear shorts in the summer.En verano siempre llevo un chor.
