polish

pulir

la crema de zapatos

polish(pa-lihsh)

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

1. (to make shine)

a. pulir

The hotel cleaners had to polish the floors too.El servicio de limpieza del hotel tenía que pulir los suelos también.

b. lustrar

What product do you use to polish your shoes?¿Qué producto usas para lustrar los zapatos?

c. sacar brillo a

I have been polishing all the metal parts of the furniture.He estado sacando brillo a todas las partes de metal de los muebles.

d. dar brillo a

I polish my car with wax twice a year.Doy brillo a mi auto con cera dos veces al año.

e. limpiar

A piece of cloth is the best thing to use to polish guitars.Lo mejor para limpiar guitarras es un pedazo de tela.

f. encerar (with floor wax)

I suggest you polish the parquet floor every three months to protect it.Sugiero que enceres el parqué cada tres meses para protegerlo.

g. bolear (shoes)

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

Regionalism used in Paraguay

(Paraguay)

Remember to polish your shoes, and iron your shirt.No te olvides de bolear los zapatos y planchar la camisa.

h. embolar (shoes)

Regionalism used in Chile

(Chile)

Regionalism used in Colombia

(Colombia)

My husband polishes his own shoes every day.Mi esposo embola sus zapatos cada día.

2. (to improve)

a. pulir

Years ago I lived in Argentina, so I'm taking this course to polish my Spanish.Hace años viví en la Argentina, así que estoy en este curso para pulir mi español.

b. perfeccionar

I need to polish my German before I move to Berlin.Tengo que perfeccionar mi alemán antes de mudarme a Berlín.

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

noun

3. (substance for polishing)

a. la crema de zapatos

(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).

(F)

(for shoes)

Use the sponge provided to apply polish on your shoes.Utilice la esponja que se facilita para aplicar la crema de zapatos en su calzado.

b. el betún

(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).

(M)

(for shoes)

I used polish to waterproof my hiking boots.Le puse betún a mis botas de montaña para impermeabilizarlas.

c. el abrillantador

(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).

(M)

(for floors, furniture or metal)

You need a metal polish for the door handles.Necesitas un abrillantador de metales para las manijas de las puertas.

d. la cera

(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).

(F)

(for floors or furniture)

You can't use polish directly on the floor. You need to mix it with water first.No se puede usar cera directamente sobre el piso. Primero debes mezclarla con agua.

e. el esmalte

(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).

(M)

(for nails)

Be careful when you're doing your nails. It's hard to remove polish from your clothes.Ten cuidado cuando te pintes las uñas. Es difícil sacar las manchas de esmalte de la ropa.

f. la laca de uñas

(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).

(F)

(for nails)

I like to use a different color of nail polish every day.Me gusta usar cada día un color distinto de laca de uñas.

4. (act of polishing)

a. el pulido

(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).

(M)

My old car always looks like new after a good polish.Mi viejo auto siempre se ve como nuevo después de un buen pulido.

b. el brillo

(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).

(M)

Looks like it is going to rain. I'd better wait until next week to give my car a polish.Parece que va a llover. Mejor espero hasta la semana que viene para darle brillo al auto.

5. (gloss)

a. el brillo

(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).

(M)

We need to clean more often. The polish of the furniture has become dull.Hay que hacer la limpieza más seguido. El brillo de los muebles se opacó.

b. el lustre

(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).

(M)

I just finished working on this table. It has a beautiful polish now.Terminé de trabajar esta mesa. Ahora tiene un hermoso lustre.

6. (refinement)

a. el refinamiento

(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).

(M)

Martha may be younger and richer, but she lacks polish.Martha puede ser más joven y más rica, pero le falta refinamiento.

polish

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

Noun

1. (finish, shine)

a. el brillo

(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).

(M)

to give something a polishdar or sacar brillo a algo

2. (for shoes)

a. la betún m, crema (para calzado)

(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).

(F)

3. (for furniture, floors)

a. la cera

(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).

(F)

4. (for metal)

a. el abrillantador

(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).

(M)

5. (for nails)

a. la esmalte m, laca

(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).

(F)

6. (refinement)

a. el acabado m, refinamiento

(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).

(M)

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

7. (wood, metal, stone)

a. pulir

8. (shoes)

a. dar brillo a, limpiar

9. (floor)

a. encerar

10. (improve)

a. pulir, perfeccionar

polish [ˈpɒlɪʃ]

noun

1 (shoe polish) betún (m); bola (f); (Méx) (furniture polish, floor polish) cera (f); (metal polish) líquido (m) para limpiar metales; (nail polish) esmalte (m) or laca (f) (para las uñas)

2 (act)

my shoes need a polish mis zapatos necesitan una limpieza; to give sth a polish dar brillo a algo

3 (shine) lustre (m); brillo (m)

high polish lustre (m) brillante; the buttons have lost their polish los botones han perdido su brillo or se han deslustrado; to put a polish on sth sacar brillo a algo; the water takes the polish off el agua quita el brillo

4 (refinement) refinamiento (m); [of artistry etc] elegancia (f)

he lacks polish le falta refinamiento

transitive verb

1 (gen) pulir; [+shoes] limpiar; lustrar; especially (LAm) bolear; (Méx) embolar; (Chile) [+floor, furniture] encerar; [+pans, metal, silver] pulir; (mechanically, industrially) pulimentar

2 (also polish up) (improve) perfeccionar; [+manners] refinar; [+style etc] pulir; limar; [+one's Spanish etc] pulir; perfeccionar