bust(
buhst
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to break)
a. romper
Careful with that box! I won't have you busting my mother's china.¡Cuidado con esa caja! No permitiré que rompas la porcelana de mi madre.
b. estropear
You were supposed to fix my guitar, not bust the neck!Tenías que arreglar mi guitarra, no estropearle el cuello.
c. escacharrar (Spain)
Regionalism used in Spain
If you sit on that antique chair, you're going to bust it.Si te sientas en esa antigua silla, la vas a escacharrar.
2. (colloquial) (to catch)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. agarrar (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
The police busted him trying to steal a lollipop.La policía lo agarró tratando de robar una paleta.
b. trincar (colloquial) (Spain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Spain
Put out that joint man, or the cops are going to bust you.Apaga ese porro tío, o la poli te va a trincar.
c. hacer una redada en (premises)
The cops busted a meth lab in an apartment on Free Street.La policía hizo una redada en un laboratorio de metanfetamina en la calle Free.
3. (colloquial) (to cause to go bankrupt)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. causar la quiebra de
It was an overly ambitious merger that ultimately busted the business.Fue una fusión demasiado ambiciosa que acabó causando la quiebra de la empresa.
4. (colloquial) (to demote) (United States)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United States
a. degradar
The detective was busted to regular street duty.El detective fue degradado al servicio de calle común.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
5. (colloquial) (to break)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. romperse
I tried to write with your fountain pen, and it busted in my hand!Traté de escribir con tu pluma fuente, y ¡se me rompió en la mano!
b. estropearse
The doorknob busted when I tried to open the door.Se me estropeó el pomo cuando traté de abrir la puerta.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
6. (art)
a. el busto (M) (sculpture)
(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 bust of Beethoven on top of the piano.Había un busto de Beethoven encima del piano.
7. (anatomy)
a. el pecho (M) (of a woman)
(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 tailor measured her hips, waist, and bust.El sastre le midió las caderas, la cintura y el pecho.
b. el busto (M) (of a woman)
(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 dancer wore a corset to accentuate her waist and bust.La bailarina llevaba un corsé para acentuarle la cintura y el busto.
8. (colloquial) (police assault)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. la redada (F) (colloquial)
(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 word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
The drug dealers didn't see the bust coming, and the cops caught them with a ton of drugs.Los narcotraficantes no previeron la redada, y la policía los agarró con un montón de droga.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
9. (colloquial) (broken) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
a. estropeado
We've got to call the repairman because the refrigerator's bust.Tenemos que llamar al técnico porque el refrigerador está estropeado.
10. (colloquial) (finance)
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.
After only two years in business, the company went bust.Después de solo dos años de operación, la compañía quebró.
If we don't cut down our production costs, we're going to go bust.Si no reducimos nuestros gastos de producción, nos vamos a la bancarrota.
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