rato
1 (espacio de tiempo) (uso incontable) (uso contable)
lleva bastante rato hablando he's been talking for quite a while o for quite some time
hace rato a while ago; some time ago
hace rato que se fue he left a while ago; he left some time ago
largo rato a long time
hablamos largo rato we talked a long time
más rato (Chile) later
déjalo para más rato leave it for later; nos vemos más rato see you later
mucho rato a long time
¿vas a tardar mucho rato? will you be long?
para rato
tenemos carretera para rato we still have quite a way to go; tenemos para rato con este trabajo we still have quite a lot to do to get this work finished; we're still a long way from finishing this work
aún queda presidente para rato the president will still be around for some time to come
durante el rato que estuve esperando during the short time I was waiting
estoy encantada de haber tenido este rato para charlar contigo I'm delighted to have had this time to chat to you; en esos ratos me olvido de todo at such moments I forget about everything
otro rato
ya lo llamaré otro rato I'll call him back another time; dile que se ponga otro rato al teléfono can you call her back to the phone for a minute?; ¡hasta otro rato! so long!; I'll see you!
todo el rato the whole time; all the time
un rato a (short) while
al cabo de un rato dijo ... after a (short) while he said ...; dentro de un rato in a (short) while
solo estuvo allí un rato he was only there a (short) while; todavía tardará un rato en salir it'll still be a while before he comes out; me quedaré un rato más I'll stay a bit longer
me tuvo esperando un buen rato she kept me waiting a good while o quite some time
escríbeme cuando tengas un rato write to me when you have a spare moment; no regresó hasta pasado un buen rato he didn't come back for a while
dar un mal rato a algn to give sb a hard time
estos hijos no dan más que malos ratos these children give you nothing but grief; mujer, no te des mal rato don't let yourself be upset
pasar un buen/mal rato to have a good/bad time
me hizo pasar un mal rato I had a terrible time because of him
pasar el rato to pass the time
tener sus ratos to have one's moments
ratos de ocio leisure time
ratos libres spare time; free time
2 (otras expresiones temporales)
al rato shortly afterwards; shortly after; a short while later
al poco rato sonó el teléfono shortly afterwards o shortly after o a short while later the phone rang
llamaron al poco rato de irte they called a short while after o shortly after you left
al rato viene (México) he'll be here soon o in a (short) while; voy a comer al rato (México) I'm going to eat soon o in a moment
a cada rato every other minute
caminaba despacio, parándose a cada rato she walked slowly, stopping all the time o every other minute
de rato en rato every so often
3
ratos: a ratos at times
a ratos, me parece sincero y a otros no at times he seems sincere and at other times not; el enfermo solo se levanta a ratos the patient only gets up from time to time o now and again
de a ratos (Arg) (Uru) from time to time; now and again
a ratos perdidos in one's spare moments
trabajo en el jardín a ratos perdidos I work in the garden in my spare moments