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Cut in Useful Expressions
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October 20, 2026
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Common expressions with cut describe reducing, stopping, and making choices. A cafe owner and Maya handle spending, work, and everyday decisions. The cards move from direct phrases to less literal uses of cut.
Voca cards
1.
cut prices
bajar los precios, reducir los precios
I cut prices on our cakes because we had too many left.
Bajé los precios de nuestros pasteles porque nos habían sobrado demasiados.
2.
cut costs
reducir costos, reducir costes
Maya and I cut costs by buying used tables for our cafe.
Maya y yo redujimos costos comprando mesas usadas para nuestra cafetería.
'Cut costs' concerns what a business spends; 'cut prices' concerns what customers pay.
3.
cut the budget
recortar el presupuesto, reducir el presupuesto
I had to cut the budget for our cafe's new kitchen.
Tuve que recortar el presupuesto para la nueva cocina de nuestra cafetería.
4.
cut working hours
reducir la jornada laboral, recortar las horas de trabajo
I cut working hours at the cafe because sales were slow.
Reduje las horas de trabajo en la cafetería porque las ventas estaban bajas.
For one employee, the usual pattern is 'cut someone's hours'.
5.
cut something in half
reducir algo a la mitad
I cut our food waste in half by making smaller meals.
Reduje a la mitad nuestro desperdicio de comida preparando porciones más pequeñas.
6.
cut back on spending
reducir los gastos, gastar menos
I need to cut back on spending after buying the new tables.
Necesito gastar menos después de haber comprado las mesas nuevas.
'Cut back on' allows some activity to continue; it does not suggest stopping completely.
7.
cut down on sugar
reducir el consumo de azúcar, consumir menos azúcar
I want to cut down on sugar, so I put less in my coffee.
Quiero consumir menos azúcar, así que le pongo menos al café.
'Cut down on' and 'cut back on' often have the same meaning.
8.
cut out junk food
dejar de comer comida chatarra, dejar de comer comida basura
I decided to cut out junk food and bring lunch from home.
Decidí dejar de comer comida chatarra y llevar el almuerzo de casa.
'Cut out' suggests stopping completely; 'cut down on' suggests using or doing less.
9.
cut off the power
cortar la electricidad, cortar la corriente
I cut off the power before Maya fixed the broken light.
Corté la corriente antes de que Maya reparara la luz que no funcionaba.
'Cut off' also works with supplies of water or gas.
10.
cut the meeting short
terminar la reunión antes de tiempo, acortar la reunión
I had to cut the meeting short because Maya felt sick.
Tuve que terminar la reunión antes de tiempo porque Maya se sentía mal.
'Cut the meeting short' is about ending early, not speaking briefly.
11.
cut someone off
interrumpir a alguien
I cut Maya off before she could finish explaining the problem.
Interrumpí a Maya antes de que pudiera terminar de explicar el problema.
In conversation, 'cut someone off' can sound stronger and ruder than 'interrupt someone'.
12.
cut someone out of something
excluir a alguien de algo, dejar a alguien fuera de algo
Maya was upset because I cut her out of our plans for the cafe.
Maya estaba molesta porque la dejé fuera de nuestros planes para la cafetería.
'Cut someone out of something' often suggests unfair or hurtful exclusion.
13.
cut ties with someone
romper relaciones con alguien, cortar lazos con alguien
I decided to cut ties with our old supplier after another late delivery.
Decidí romper relaciones con nuestro antiguo proveedor después de otra entrega tardía.
'Cut ties with someone' works for personal and business relationships and sounds firm.
14.
cut out the middleman
eliminar al intermediario, prescindir del intermediario
Maya suggested we cut out the middleman and buy coffee directly from farmers.
Maya sugirió que elimináramos al intermediario y compráramos el café directamente a los productores.
'Middleman' can refer to a company, not only a person.
15.
cut through red tape
sortear la burocracia, agilizar los trámites
Maya helped me cut through red tape to get our new kitchen approved.
Maya me ayudó a agilizar los trámites para conseguir la aprobación de nuestra nueva cocina.
'Red tape' suggests rules are frustrating or unnecessary, not simply official.
16.
cut corners
hacer las cosas a medias, tomar atajos
I won't cut corners on cleaning, even when the cafe is busy.
No voy a hacer la limpieza a medias, ni siquiera cuando haya mucho trabajo en la cafetería.
'Cut corners' usually criticizes a shortcut that lowers quality or safety.
17.
cut one's losses
limitar las pérdidas, retirarse a tiempo
I decided to cut my losses and sell the fridge before paying for more repairs.
Decidí limitar mis pérdidas y vender el refrigerador antes de seguir pagando reparaciones.
'Cut one's losses' often follows a decision that has already cost money, time, or effort.
18.
cut a deal
llegar a un acuerdo, cerrar un trato
I hope to cut a deal with the farmer for cheaper coffee.
Espero llegar a un acuerdo con el productor para conseguir café más barato.
'Cut a deal' is informal; 'reach an agreement' is more neutral.
19.
cut someone in
darle participación a alguien, incluir a alguien en las ganancias
Maya wants to invest, so I offered to cut her in on the profits.
Maya quiere invertir, así que le ofrecí una participación en las ganancias.
'Cut someone in' is informal and often followed by 'on' plus the shared profits or business.
20.
cut someone some slack
ser comprensivo con alguien, no ser tan exigente con alguien
I asked Maya to cut me some slack during my first week managing alone.
Le pedí a Maya que no fuera tan exigente conmigo durante mi primera semana administrando la cafeterí
'Cut someone some slack' is informal and often used to ask for more patience.
21.
cut it close
llegar con el tiempo justo, llegar apenas a tiempo
I cut it close and reached the cafe just one minute before opening.
Llegué a la cafetería con el tiempo justo, apenas un minuto antes de abrir.
'Cut it close' usually suggests risky timing, not physical distance.
22.
cut to the chase
ir al grano
I asked Maya to cut to the chase and tell me the total cost.
Le pedí a Maya que fuera al grano y me dijera el costo total.
'Cut to the chase' is informal and can sound impatient as a direct request.
23.
cut both ways
ser un arma de doble filo, tener ventajas y desventajas
I know discounts can cut both ways: more customers, but less profit per sale.
Sé que los descuentos pueden ser un arma de doble filo: atraen a más clientes, pero dejan menos gana
'Cut both ways' often introduces a warning about the downside of an advantage.