Palabras que no existen en inglés
Explora ideas que otros idiomas nombran con precisión y descubre cómo el inglés las expresa mediante frases y palabras prestadas.
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Questions with solutions-
1. Elige la respuesta correcta.
Snow canceled their evening plans, so they stayed in, shared soup, and talked by the fire. The furniture was shabby, but nobody felt the need to impress anyone. Their Danish friend called it hygge. What made the evening fit that description?
- The excitement of an unexpected adventure
- The comfortable, unhurried sense of being together
- The luxury of an impressive setting
- The chance to withdraw from all company
Observa cómo se sienten los invitados, en lugar de cómo se ve la habitación.
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- The comfortable, unhurried sense of being together
La palabra danesa “hygge” suele describir un ambiente acogedor de tranquilidad y satisfacción. Un entorno costoso no es indispensable.
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2. Elige la respuesta correcta.
The office show-off's presentation froze just as he announced that he never made mistakes. Mara felt a flicker of schadenfreude: she enjoyed seeing his smug confidence punctured, although his failure brought her no advantage. What was she taking pleasure in?
- Her own success in solving a technical problem
- A colleague's willingness to admit a mistake
- The discovery that nobody had noticed her error
- Another person's embarrassing setback
¿La experiencia de quién le causa placer a Mara?
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- Another person's embarrassing setback
El inglés toma prestada la palabra alemana “schadenfreude” para referirse al placer que se siente ante la desgracia ajena. Ese placer no necesariamente implica un beneficio personal.
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3. Elige la respuesta correcta.
Under the trees, bright patches trembled across the path whenever the breeze stirred the canopy. A Japanese visitor called the effect komorebi. There were no lamps or pools of water nearby. What produced the effect?
- Sunlight filtering through leaves
- Sunlight reflected from water onto leaves
- Light emitted by insects beneath the trees
- A pale glow created by mist above the trees
Piensa en cómo el follaje en movimiento afecta la luz del sol.
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- Sunlight filtering through leaves
La palabra japonesa “komorebi” designa la luz del sol que se filtra a través de los árboles. En inglés, este efecto suele describirse con una frase.
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4. Elige la respuesta correcta.
In a Spanish memoir, lunch ends with the plates being cleared, but nobody leaves. Over coffee, a brief exchange becomes a long conversation about family memories. The writer treasures this sobremesa more than the meal itself. When does sobremesa happen here?
- While the guests prepare the meal together
- During the pause between the main course and dessert
- After the meal, while people remain at the table talking
- Before the meal, while people wait to be seated
La comida terminó, pero la reunión continúa.
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- After the meal, while people remain at the table talking
En este uso, la palabra española “sobremesa” se refiere al tiempo que se pasa en la mesa después de comer, a menudo conversando.
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5. Elige la respuesta correcta.
The Portuguese narrator does not regret moving abroad. Yet an old recording of her mother's singing brings both warmth and an ache: the life she loves now cannot replace the people and places she misses. Which phrase best captures her saudade?
- An affectionate longing for someone or something absent
- Regret focused on a decision she wants to reverse
- Impatience to experience something entirely unfamiliar
- Relief at having escaped an unhappy past
Sus sentimientos incluyen afecto y ausencia, pero no el deseo de revertir su decisión.
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- An affectionate longing for someone or something absent
“Saudade” puede combinar la añoranza con recuerdos llenos de ternura. Extrañar una vida anterior no significa necesariamente rechazar el presente.
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6. Elige la respuesta correcta.
The first office layout crammed in every possible desk; the second left half the room needlessly empty. The Swedish designer called the final version lagom: it met the team's needs without crowding or waste. Which comment preserves that idea?
- The fewer resources we use, the better, regardless of our needs.
- Every employee must receive exactly the same amount of space.
- We have enough for our purpose, without unnecessary excess.
- We should use all available space, even if we do not need it.
Ninguno de los dos extremos satisfizo al diseñador.
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- We have enough for our purpose, without unnecessary excess.
La palabra sueca “lagom” suele significar una cantidad adecuada: ni demasiado ni muy poco. No es simplemente una exigencia de minimalismo.
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7. Elige la respuesta correcta.
Only on the train home did Nina invent the devastating reply she could have made to a dismissive remark at dinner. In her essay, she calls this l'esprit de l'escalier. Which English sentence preserves her rueful meaning?
- I deliberately saved my strongest reply for another occasion.
- I finally remembered the exact reply I had given at dinner.
- I reconsidered my reply and decided that silence had been wiser.
- I thought of the perfect comeback once the moment had passed.
Distingue una respuesta recién inventada de una que se recuerda o se reserva deliberadamente.
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- I thought of the perfect comeback once the moment had passed.
La expresión francesa “l'esprit de l'escalier” se refiere a la frustración de encontrar una respuesta ingeniosa demasiado tarde para usarla.
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8. Elige la respuesta correcta.
Leila was disappointed not to receive the fellowship, yet her delight at her friend's success was genuine. In a discussion of Buddhist practice, she described that delight as mudita—not a polite performance or a hope of sharing the reward. What does mudita name here?
- Acceptance of one's own disappointment
- Joy in another person's good fortune
- Courtesy that conceals resentment
- Satisfaction at an expected personal benefit
La decepción y la alegría de Leila se centran en cosas distintas.
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- Joy in another person's good fortune
El término pali “mudita” suele expresarse en inglés como alegría apreciativa o empática. La felicidad de otra persona es, en sí misma, la fuente del gozo.
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9. Elige la respuesta correcta.
The potter repaired an old bowl rather than replacing it. She valued its uneven rim and worn surface as traces of its history, without claiming that every crack made it better. Her reference to wabi-sabi suggests which view of beauty?
- An object becomes more beautiful whenever it suffers damage.
- Restoration succeeds only when it erases every sign of age.
- Beauty can include imperfection and the visible passage of time.
- Caring for an object prevents its natural beauty from emerging.
Su aprecio por el desgaste no equivale a una preferencia general por el daño.
Show solution
- Beauty can include imperfection and the visible passage of time.
El concepto estético japonés “wabi-sabi” incluye el aprecio por la imperfección y la impermanencia. Esto no significa que el descuido o el daño sean automáticamente deseables.
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10. Elige la respuesta correcta.
At dinner, the host noticed that a guest's polite smile faded whenever work came up. Rather than announce that she knew what was wrong, she gently changed the subject and watched the guest relax. Her Korean friend praised her nunchi. What does it involve here?
- Reading indirect social cues and responding tactfully
- Knowing another person's private thoughts with certainty
- Following a fixed rule against discussing work at dinner
- Requiring an explicit explanation before adjusting the conversation
El anfitrión responde a un patrón de comportamiento sin afirmar que tiene acceso a los pensamientos del invitado.
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- Reading indirect social cues and responding tactfully
La palabra coreana “nunchi” se refiere a la sensibilidad a las señales sociales y a la situación que te rodea. Implica evaluar con atención, no leer la mente.