orientar

to position

to guide

orientar(oh-ryehn-tahr)

transitive verb

1. (to aim)

a. to position

Orienta la luz del reflector al portón de entrada.

Position the spotlight towards the entrance gate.

b. to point

Elena orientó la cámara hacia los espectadores.

Elena pointed the camera towards the audience.

c. to orient

(United States)

Orientaron la antena al norte para tener mejor señal.

The antenna was oriented north to get a better signal.

d. to orientate (United Kingdom)

El piloto orientó la nave hacia el sur.

The pilot orientated the plane towards the south.

e.

no direct translation

El balcón está orientado hacia el sur y le da el sol toda la tarde.

The balcony is south-facing and gets the sun all afternoon.

¿En qué dirección está orientado el apartamento?

Which way does the apartment face?

2. (to help)

a. to guide

El ayudante de cátedra me orientó en mi investigación.

The adjunct professor guided me in my research.

b. to give guidance

Recurrió a un yogui para que la orientara en su transformación espiritual.

She turned to a yogi to give her guidance in her spiritual transformation.

c. to orient

(United States)

Había carteles por los pasillos para ayudar a orientar a los nuevos estudiantes.

There were posters along the halls to help orient the new students.

d. to orientate (United Kingdom)

El índice está para orientar al lector.

The index helps to orientate the reader.

3. (to focus)

a. to direct

Orientaremos todo nuestro esfuerzo a crear un futuro mejor.

We will direct all our efforts toward creating a better future.

4. (nautical)

a. to trim

¡Rápido! ¡Orienta las velas para aprovechar el viento!

Hurry! Trim the sails to the wind!

orientarse

pronominal verb

5. (to determine one's position)

a. to get one's bearings

Se cortó la luz, pero el portero pudo orientarse y salió del edificio.

The power went out, but the super managed to get his bearings and leave the building.

b. to find one's way around

El niño que se extravió en el bosque finalmente se orientó y regresó a su casa.

The child who got lost in the woods finally found his way around and walked home.

c. to orient oneself

(United States)

El líder de la caravana se orientaba observando las estrellas.

The caravan leader oriented himself by observing the stars.

d. to orientate oneself (United Kingdom)

No me pude orientar ni con un mapa ni con una brújula.

Even with a map and a compass, I couldn't orientate myself.

6. (to change position; used with "hacia")

a. to point at

Los cañones se orientaron hacia la fortaleza.

The cannons pointed at the fortress.

b. to turn toward

(United States)

Los girasoles se orientaron hacia el sol.

The sunflowers turned toward the sun.

c. to turn towards (United Kingdom)

La planta se orientó hacia el sol y ahora nace retorcida.

The plant turned towards the sun and now it's growing twisted.

7. (to opt for; used with "a", "hacia," or "por")

a. to go in for

Yo estudié economía, pero mi hermano se orientó por la política.

I studied economy, but my brother went in for politics.

b. to tend toward

(United States)

Sus artículos se orientan hacia ideas izquierdistas.

His articles tend toward leftist views.

c. to tend towards (United Kingdom)

El nuevo partido se orienta más a la derecha que a la izquierda.

The new party tends more towards the right than the left.

orientar

transitive verb

1. (dirigir)

a. to direct

mi ventana está orientada hacia el surmy window faces south o is south-facing

2. (aconsejar)

a. to give advice o guidance to

3. (medidas, fondos)

a.

orientar haciato direct toward o at

pronominal verb

4. (dirigirse; foco)

a.

orientarse ato point toward o at

5. (encontrar el camino)

a. to get one's bearings, to find one's way around

6. (encaminarse)

a.

orientarse haciato be aiming at

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

orientar

transitive verb

1 (situar)

orientar algo hacia o a algo to position sth to face sth; orientaron la parabólica hacia el norte they positioned the satellite dish to face north; they put the satellite dish facing north; la casa está orientada hacia el suroeste the house faces south-west; the house looks south-west

2 (enfocar) to direct

tenemos que orientar nuestros esfuerzos hacia un aumento de la productividad we must direct our efforts towards improving productivity; hay que orientar las investigaciones en otro sentido we shall have to follow a different path of enquiry; cómics orientados a un público adulto comics oriented o targeted at adult readers

3 (guiar) to guide

me ha orientado en la materia he has guided me through the subject; he has given me guidance about the subject

4 (Náutica) [+vela] to trim

pronominal verb

orientarse

1 (encontrar el camino) to get one's bearings

es difícil orientarse en esta ciudad it's hard to get one's bearings in this city; it's hard to find one's way around in this city

2 (tender)

su estilo se orienta hacia lo abstracto his style tends towards the abstract