plain

sencillo

plain(pleyn)

adjective

1. (unadorned)

a. sencillo

He wore a plain black hat.

Llevaba un sombrero negro sencillo.

b. liso

She wore a plain red dress.

Llevaba un vestido rojo liso.

c. llano

I think you should wear a plain dress so you don't take attention away from the bride.

Creo que debes llevar un vestido llano para no quitarle atención a la novia.

2. (unambiguous)

a. claro

Tomás always uses plain language.

Tomás siempre habla con un lenguaje claro.

b. franco

A plain sentence has more impact than a flowery one.

Una frase franca dice más que una florida.

3. (without extras)

a. natural

I prefer plain yogurt to yogurt with fruit.

Prefiero el yogur natural al yogur con frutas.

4. (pure)

a. totalmente

Last night's party was plain fun.

La fiesta de anoche fue totalmente divertida.

5. (obvious)

a. claro

It's plain that he doesn't want to talk to us.

Es claro que no tiene ganas de hablar con nosotros.

6. (unattractive)

a. poco atractivo

"I don't care if I'm plain because I'm smarter than you," he said.

"Me vale ser poco atractivo porque soy más listo que tú," dijo.

noun

7. (flat, treeless land)

a. la llanura

(F)

A tornado came through the Oklahoma plain.

Un tornado pasó por la llanura de Oklahoma.

8. (type of knitting)

a. el punto sencillo

(M)

My mother knits plain, but my grandmother likes to crochet.

Mi mamá hace punto sencillo, pero a mi abuela le gusta hacer ganchillo.

adverb

9.

(colloquial)

(completely)

a. totalmente

That's plain false; I didn't steal anything.

Eso es totalmente falso; no robé nada.

10.

(colloquial)

(simply)

a. simplemente

He spoke plain, but his words were full of power.

Habló simplemente, pero sus palabras estaban llenas de poder.

plain

Noun

1. (general)

a. la llanura

(F)

adjective

2. (clear, unambiguous)

a. claro(a)

to make something plain to somebodydejar claro algo a alguien

I'll be quite plain with youvoy a ser claro con usted

3. (colloquial)

a.

it's as plain as the nose on your faceestá más claro que el agua

in plain Englishen lenguaje llano

a plain answeruna respuesta directa or clara

4. (fig)

a.

it was plain sailingfue pan comido

plain speakingfranqueza f

the plain truthla verdad pura y simple

5. (simple; style, garment)

a. sencillo(a)

6. (colloquial)

a.

that's just plain foolishnesses pura tontería

one plain, one purluno del derecho, uno del revés

plain chocolatechocolate amargo

in plain clothesde paisano

plain flourharina sin levadura

7. (not beautiful)

a. feo(a)

a plain Janeun patito feo

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

plain [pleɪn]

adjective

plainer (comparative)plainest (superlative)

1 (clear, obvious) claro; evidente

it is plain that es evidente or obvio que; está claro que

it must be plain to all that ...

to make sth plain (to sb) poner algo de manifiesto (a algn); dejar algo claro

you have made your feelings plain has puesto tus sentimientos de manifiesto; has dejado claros tus sentimientos

her guilt was plain to see saltaba a la vista que era culpable

it's as plain as a pikestaff or as the nose on your face or as day está más claro que el agua

2 (outspoken, honest) franco

I shall be plain with you le hablaré con toda franqueza; seré franco con usted; let me be plain with you déjeme que le hable claramente or sin rodeos; permítame que le hable con franqueza (formal)

plain dealing negocios (m) limpios

the country's reputation for honesty and plain dealing

3 (unadorned) [+answer] franco; [+living] sencillo; sin lujo; [+food, cooking] sencillo; corriente; [+language, style] sencillo; llano; [+envelope] en blanco; [+paper] liso; [+fabric] de un solo color; liso

in one colour

he drank plain water bebió agua nada más; they're very plain people es gente muy sencilla or llana; she used to be plain Miss Jones antes se llamaba la Srta. Jones sin más; it's just plain common sense es de sentido común

it's a plain guess he's a plain man

in plain clothes [+policeman] (vestido) de civil or paisano

under plain [cover]

in plain English or language (understandably) en lenguaje claro or sencillo; (frankly) (hablando) sin rodeos

In plain English, don't be so nosy Isn't it great when experts talk in plain English? the book explains these theories in plain language if someone would tell them in plain language what needs to be done, they would respond

the plain truth la verdad lisa y llana

it's plain sailing from now on a partir de ahora es pan comido (informal)

4 (not pretty) poco atractivo

she's terribly plain no es nada atractiva

to be a plain Jane ser una chica poco atractiva; ser más bien fea

adverb

1 (completely)

he's plain wrong no tiene razón, y punto; it's just plain stupid es una ridiculez absoluta or total

2 (simply) claramente; con toda claridad

I can't put it plainer than that más claramente no lo puedo decir; no lo puedo decir con más claridad

he told me quite plain that ... me dijo claramente or con toda claridad que ...

noun

1 (Geog) llanura (f); llano (m)

the Great Plains (US) las Grandes Llanuras

2 (Knitting) punto (m) sencillo

modifier

plain chocolate (n) chocolate (m) amargo or sin leche

plain flour (n) harina (f) sin levadura