entretener

to entertain

entretener(ehn-treh-teh-nehr)

transitive verb

1. (to provide entertainment for)

a. to entertain

El niño entretuvo a su gato con un listón y un láser.

The boy entertained his cat with a ribbon and a laser.

El cómico entretuvo al público con sus chistes.

The comedian entertained the audience with his jokes.

b. to amuse

El payaso no entretuvo a los niños. Estaban más bien asustados.

The clown didn't amuse the children. They were actually scared.

c. to keep entertained

Pasa el tiempo pero las películas de Chaplin siempre nos entretienen.

Time passes but Chaplin movies always keep us entertained.

2. (to divert attention from)

a. to distract

Uno de los ladrones entretenía a la mujer mientras el otro le robaba el bolso.

One of the thieves distracted the woman while the other stole her purse.

3. (to pass in a pleasant way)

a. to while away

Iba a ser un vuelo largo, así que me compré un libro para entretener el viaje.

It was going to be a long flight, so I bought a book to while away the journey.

4. (to prevent from leaving)

a. to keep

Lorenzo llegó tarde porque un cliente lo entretuvo en la tienda hasta las 7 pm.

Lorenzo was late because a customer kept him at the store until 7 pm.

b. to detain

Disculpe la demora; no quiero entretenerlo más.

I'm sorry for the delay; I don't want to detain you any longer.

5. (to maintain)

a. to entertain

El abuelo fue muy valiente, entretuvo su esperanza de curación hasta el final.

Grandpa was very brave; he entertained his hope for a cure until the very end.

intransitive verb

6. (to provide entertainment)

a. to be entertaining

Con tanta tecnología, creo que esos juegos viejos ya no entretienen.

With so much technology, those old games are no longer entertaining.

entretenerse

reflexive verb

7. (to be entertained)

a. to amuse oneself

Me entretuve dibujando mientras recuperaba.

I amused myself drawing while I was recuperating.

b. to keep oneself entertained

En los días de calor, los niños se entretienen jugando en la piscina.

On hot days, the children keep themselves entertained playing in the swimming pool.

pronominal verb

8. (to be delayed)

a. to dillydally

Ve al supermercado a comprar huevos y no te entretengas con tus amigos porque los necesito ya.

Go to the supermarket to buy some eggs, and don't dillydally with your friends because I need them now.

b. to be held up

Me entretuve tratando de salir de la carretera porque había habido un accidente.

I was held up trying to get off the highway because there had been an accident.

entretener

transitive verb

1. (despistar)

a. to distract

2. (retrasar)

a. to hold up, to keep

3. (divertir)

a. to entertain

4. (mantener)

a. to keep alive, to sustain

pronominal verb

5. (despistarse)

a. to get distracted

6. (retrasarse)

a. to be held up

7. (divertirse)

a. to amuse oneself

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

entretener

transitive verb

1 (divertir) to entertain; amuse

nos entretuvo con sus chistes mientras esperábamos he kept us entertained o amused with his jokes while we were waiting; hacer punto la entretiene she amuses herself by knitting

2 (retener) to keep; detain (formal)

pues no le entretengo más then I won't keep o (formal) detain you any longer; una vecina me entretuvo hablando en las escaleras a neighbour kept me talking on the stairs

3 (distraer)

entretener a algn to distract sb's attention; uno de los ladrones entretuvo a la dependienta one of the thieves distracted the shop assistant's attention; entretener algo: entretuvieron la espera leyendo they whiled away the time by reading; me tomé una tapa para entretener el hambre I had a snack to take the edge off my hunger

4 (dar largas a)

me está entreteniendo con mentiras para no pagarme he's putting me off with lies so as not to pay me

entretener a los acreedores

5 (mantener) [+ilusiones] to nourish; [+fuego] to maintain

intransitive verb

la tele entretiene mucho TV is very entertaining

pronominal verb

entretenerse

1 (divertirse) to amuse o.s.

se entretenían contando historias they amused themselves by telling stories; they kept themselves amused by telling stories

2 (tardar) to hang about

¡no te entretengas! don't hang about!

no os entretengáis jugando