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"Sharpened" is a form of "sharpen", a transitive verb which is often translated as "afilar". "Was" is a form of "be", a copular verb which is often translated as "ser". Learn more about the difference between "sharpened" and "was" below.
sharpen(
shar
-
pihn
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. afilar
You may need to sharpen the knife before you cut the meat.Puede que tengas que afilar el cuchillo antes de cortar la carne.
b. sacar punta a (pencil)
You can't sharpen that pencil anymore. Do you want to borrow a pen?Ya no puedes sacarle más punta a ese lápiz. ¿Quieres que te preste un bolígrafo?
a. aguzar
If you want to sharpen your senses, your best bet is to practice meditation.Si quieres aguzar tus sentidos, lo mejor es practicar meditación.
b. refinar
I think you'll have to sharpen your skills if you want to be accepted at a conservatory.Creo que vas a tener que refinar tus habilidades si quieres que te admitan en un conservatorio.
c. abrir (appetite)
The smell of the meal he was cooking only served to sharpen my appetite.El olor de la comida que estaba cocinando solo sirvió para abrirme el apetito.
a. definir
Adjust the camera lens to sharpen what you see in the viewfinder.Ajusta la lente de la cámara para definir lo que ves por el visor.
b. hacer más nítido
The edges are still a little blurry. Can you sharpen this image?Los bordes todavía están un poco desenfocados. ¿Puedes hacer esta imagen más nítida?
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. agudizarse (pain, illness)
As the sun set and the temperature fell, the pain in her arm sharpened.Cuando cayó el sol y bajó la temperatura, el dolor del brazo se agudizó.
b. avivarse
After seeing him with another woman, her desire sharpened.Al verlo con otra mujer, su deseo se avivó.
be(
bi
)A copular verb links the subject of a clause to the predicate (e.g., My brother is tall).
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
An impersonal verb is a verb with no apparent subject (e.g., Llueve en España.).
An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I'm going to the party. - So am I.Voy a la fiesta. - Yo también.
It is a lovely day, isn't it?Es un día precioso, ¿verdad?
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I don't know how much salt is to be added to the sauce.No sé cuánta sal hay que añadir a la salsa.
The assignment is to be done by next Thursday.La tarea tiene que estar para el jueves que viene.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
My baby is due in three months.Mi bebé nacerá dentro de tres meses.
Tomorrow, I'm going to the dentist.Mañana voy al dentista.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Had it not been for his family, he would have never become an artist.Si no fuera por su familia, nunca habría sido artista.
If I were you, I would not go.Yo en tu lugar, no iría.
