pinch
pinch(
pihnch
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el pellizco (M)
(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).
My brother gave me a pinch on the arm.Mi hermano me dio un pellizco en el brazo.
b. el pellizco (M)
(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).
I only added a pinch of salt to the potatoes.Solo le puse un pellizco de sal a las papas.
3. (fix)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I know I can always count on my parents in a pinch.Yo sé que, en caso de apuro, siempre puedo contar con mis padres.
If the new bar is too crowded, we could always go to the usual spot in a pinch.Si el bar nuevo está demasiado lleno, siempre nos queda ir al sitio de siempre.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
4. (to nip)
a. pellizcar
Sally pinched Armando's arm when he walked by.Sally le pellizcó el brazo de Armando cuando pasó.
5. (to hurt)
6. (to catch)
a. pillarse (colloquial) (one's fingers)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
My daughter pinched her fingers in the closet door today.Hoy mi hija se pilló los dedos con la puerta del armario.
b. agarrarse (one's fingers) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
Watch out—don't pinch your fingers when you shut the drawer.Ten cuidado, no te vayas a agarrar los dedos al cerrar el cajón.
7. (colloquial) (to steal)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. robar
When I got off the train, I realized someone had pinched my wallet.Cuando me bajé del tren, me di cuenta de que alguien me había robado la cartera.
b. quitar
My old boss pinched all my ideas and claimed them as his own.Mi antiguo jefe me quitaba todas las ideas y decía que eran suyas.
c. birlar (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
I popped into the shop, and when I came out my bike had been pinched.Entré un momento en la tienda y, cuando salí, me habían robado la bici.
8. (colloquial) (to arrest)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. atrapar
The police pinched the robbers as they were trying to slip out the bank's back door.La policía atrapó a los atracadores cuando intentaban escabullirse por la puerta de atrás del banco.
b. agarrar
The murderer was at the airport's security check when the FBI pinched him.El asesino estaba en el control de seguridad del aeropuerto cuando lo agarró el FBI.
c. pescar (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
He was pinched when he tried to sell the painting to the Uffizi gallery in Florence.Lo pescaron cuando intentó vender el cuadro a la galería Uffizi de Florencia.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
We had to pinch and scrape to be able to put a down payment on the house.Tuvimos que privarnos de muchas cosas para poder pagar la cuota inicial de la casa.
With my salary, I'm going to have to pinch and save.Con el sueldo que tengo, voy a tener que hacer muchas economías.
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