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"Track" is a noun which is often translated as "la pista", and "trace" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "localizar". Learn more about the difference between "track" and "trace" below.
track(
trahk
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (mark)
a. la pista (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Their dogs could follow the track only as far as the Mexican border.Los perros solo pudieron seguir su pista hasta la frontera con México.
2. (awareness)
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
How do you manage to keep track of everything?¿Cómo consigues mantenerte al tanto de todo?
We need to keep track of all the email exchanges.Tenemos que llevar cuenta de toda la correspondencia por email.
3. (path)
a. el camino (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).
There were tire marks on the track that led down the mountain.Había huellas de neumáticos en el camino que bajaba de la montaña.
b. el sendero (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).
There was a narrow track along the river.Había un sendero estrecho a lo largo del río.
4. (sports)
5. (railway)
a. el riel (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).
We recommend a stainless steel track for the shower curtain.Para la cortina de la ducha recomendamos un riel de acero inoxidable.
7. (route)
b. la trayectoria (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
These countries have evolved along different tracks.Estos países han evolucionado siguiendo trayectorias distintas.
8. (automobile)
b. la vía (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The wheelbase affects the load the vehicle poses to the track.La base de las ruedas afecta la carga que el vehículo pone en la vía.
9. (audio)
a. la pista (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Play track 11 and ask your students to answer the listening questions.Pon la pista 11 y pide a los alumnos que respondan a las preguntas de comprensión oral.
a. el grupo de aprendizaje (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).
Children are sorted into different tracks according to their level.Se separa a los niños en distintos grupos de aprendizaje según su nivel.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
11. (to follow)
c. seguir la trayectoria de
The astronomers were able to track the comet.Los astrónomos pudieron seguir la trayectoria del cometa.
d. seguir
This technology tracks your eye movements.Esta tecnología sigue los movimientos de los ojos.
e. hacer un seguimiento de
I have a special app to track my expenses.Tengo una app especial para hacer un seguimiento de mis gastos.
12. (to deposit)
a. ir dejando
Get a towel, you're tracking water everywhere!¡Busca una toalla que vas dejando agua por todos sitios!
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
13. (on a record)
a. seguir el surco
The needle tracks, and its orientation remains unchanged.La aguja sigue el surco y su orientación permanece inalterada.
trace(
treys
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to find)
a. localizar
Detectives are trying to trace the car of the suspect.Los detectives están tratando de localizar el automóvil del sospechoso.
b. ubicar (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
We are using radar to trace the enemy submarine.Estamos utilizando un radar para ubicar el submarino enemigo.
2. (to track)
a. rastrear
The police traced and arrested the con artist after a six-month investigation.La policía rastreó y arrestó al estafador al cabo de una investigación de seis meses.
b. seguirle el rastro
It is hard to trace him because he uses fake names and addresses.Es difícil seguirle el rastro porque usa nombres y direcciones falsas.
c. seguirle la pista
The police officer traced the suspect for four months through eastern Europe.El oficial de policía le siguió la pista al sospechoso durante cuatro meses por Europa del Este.
3. (to draw)
a. averiguar el origen de
I traced the origin of my last name. It turns out to be Italian.Averigué el origen de mi apellido. Resulta que es italiano.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
b. la pista (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The police haven't found any trace of evidence that would help them solve the case.La policía no ha encontrado ninguna pista de evidencia que les ayude a resolver el caso.
c. el indicio (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).
There are traces of deer in the clearing of the forest.Hay indicios de que hubo humanos en el claro del bosque.
d. la señal (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
A little boy is missing and we still haven't found any trace of his whereabouts.Un niño se perdió y todavía no hemos encontrado ninguna señal de su paradero.
a. el rastro (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).
A new test shows no trace of drugs in the body of the victim.Un nuevo examen revela que no hay rastros de drogas en el cuerpo de la víctima.
b. el vestigio (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 glass of water was found to contain traces of poison.Se encontró que en el vaso de agua había vestigios de veneno.
c. la huella (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The suspect was released because there were no traces of gunpowder on his hands.El sospechoso fue puesto en libertad porque no se encontraron huellas de pólvora en sus manos.
7. (computing)
a. la traza (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I think somebody is running a trace on this telephone conversation.Creo que alguien está haciendo una traza a esta llamada telefónica.
8. (strap)
a. el tirante (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 leather trace broke and I fell to the ground.El tirante de cuero se rompió y caí al piso.
