Part V   Receta to Vaso

Receta   Is a "recipe", or a "prescription" (from a physician). "Receipt" is recibo.

Recolección   Compilation, summary. "Recollection" is recuerdo, memoria.

Red   Net or network. "Red" the color is rojo or colorado.

Registrar   Can have pretty much the same meaning as English "to register" (at a hotel); can also mean "to record" (the birth of a child).  Neither of these are very far from the English.  There is, however, a very common usage of registrar which has no cognate relationship to any English word.  This meaning is "to inspect" (equipaje en la aduana), or "to search" (una casa, un sujeto).

Regular   Means not only "regular", but also "average", "moderate", "ordinary". Una persona regular ="an ordinary person". ¿Cómo está Ud.? Regular. (so-so, fair to middling, etc.)

Relación   Means "relations" in the sense of "mutual dealings" or "mutual interests", not kinfolk.  Tengo buenas relaciones con mis parientes = "I have good relations with my relatives".   Parientes are "relatives". To be related to somebody (by birth or marriage) is estar emparentado con; in-laws are parientes políticos ("political relatives").  

Relativo   Neither is this "relative" in the sense of "kinfolk". Relativo is an adjective meaning "relative", "in relation to". Nuestras situaciones relativas = "our relative situations"; valor relativo ="relative value"; pronombre relativo = "relative pronoun".   

Remarcar   Not "to remark", but "to mark again", and seldom used. For "to remark", use observar, notar, advertir.   

Resorte   Has nothing to do with "resort" in the sense of a place you go for a vacation; that would be lugar de vacaciones or lugar de veraneo. Cuernavaca es el primer lugar de veraneo de México = "Cuernavaca is Mexico’s premier resort". Resorte means "resources", "means", and very commonly, a mechanical spring. Los resortes de mi coche no sirven = "My car’s springs are no good".

Restar   To deduct, subtract. "To rest" is descansar.  To deduct, subtract. "To rest" is descansar.

Retirar   Means "to retire" in the sense of "withdraw", "quit". "Retire" in the sense of retire with a pension after completing a career is jubilarse. El Cónsul General se jubiló del Servicio Extranjero = "The Consul General retired from the Foreign Service". Although some Spanish speakers may use retirar improperly, avoid confusion by using jubilarse for "to retire after completing a career". "Retire" in the sense of going to bed is acostarse.

Ropa Not rope, but clothing. "Rope" is cuerda or cordón.  

Salario   Hourly wages. "Salary" is sueldo.  

Sano   Means healthy in the physical sense. "Sane" in the mental sense is cuerdo or razonable.    However, "insane" is insano (also colloquially loco), and demente. Unhealthy is insalubre or nocivo (in the sense of something that’s unhealthy for you.  Cigarette packages in Latin America carry the warning that smoking is nocivo. An unhealthy person is enfermo or enfermizo.

Sensible Never means "sensible", but rather "sensitive" (most common), "perceptible", "appreciable".  Ella es muy sensible = "She’s very sensitive". Alteraciones sensibles = "perceptible changes". For "sensible" use sensato, razonable, de buen sentido. Ella es una persona de buen sentido/razonable/ sensata = "She’s a reasonable person".

Serio   Means "serious", but more commonly "reliable". Un médico serio = "A reliable doctor".   Another very common usage is cosa seria, meaning "worthwhile". Este negocio es cosa seria= "This is a worthwhile business". In our sense of "serious", grave is more common: una enfermedad grave = "a serious illness". "Serious minded" is formal. Una muchacha formal ="A serious girl." Serie is a series.   

Simpático/a   This is one of the most uniquely Latin words and concepts which exist. It does not mean "sympathetic", although that idea can be included in its meaning. Its meaning includes so many feelings that it can be difficult to describe. Suffice it to say that being called simpático or simpática is one of the greatest compliments you could be paid, for it will mean that you have been accepted and that you have won affection on their cultural terms.    

Siniestro   As an adjective, means much the same as English "sinister".  As a noun, it means a catastrophe or a disaster, usually of natural origin.  You will hear it much more often in the second meaning.

Sobre.  As a noun, "envelope"; as a preposition, "above", "on [top of]", over.  In reference to a person, "sober" is sobrio [not drunk]; otherwise serio or formal. 

Sopa   Not "soap", which is jabón, but "soup". 

Soportar   Doesn’t mean "support". That is apoyar or respaldar. Soportar means "to endure", "to put up with". Ya no puedo soportarlo más = "I can’t put up with it any more."

Suceso   Has nothing to do with success, which is éxito. Suceso means "happening", or "minor event". Suceder means "to happen", "to occur". ¿Qué sucedió? = "What happened?"   

Sujeto   This word only means "subject" as the "subject" of a sentence. Its usual meaning is "fellow", "person" — in a somewhat pejorative sense. La policía está buscando a un sujeto = "The police are looking for a certain (by implication not very nice) person". This word can be insulting when applied to an individual; it is best to avoid its use. The "subject" of a speech or book is tema; a subject in school is materia.

Tipo   In addition to "type", "pattern", "model", tipo is used colloquially to mean "fellow", "guy". ¿Quién es ese tipo? = "Who is that guy?". There are many local variations, one of Mexico’s favorites is cuate. In the Southwest of the United States bato is used.

Tiro   A shot from a gun. Not to be confused with inyección, a shot from a needle intended to cure, not kill.   

Trampa   A "cheat", a "trap", or a "trick". A "tramp" riding the rails is a vagabundo.   

Trasladar   Not "translate", that’s traducir. Trasladar means "to move" or "to transfer", and is often heard in the news: Los heridos fueron trasladados al hospital del Seguro Social = "The injured were transferred to the Social Security hospital.

Tuna.  Not fishy tuna, that's atún.  Tuna is used most frequently to mean the fruit of the nopal ("prickly pear").

Tutor   Not a "tutor" in the sense of somebody you hire to help your child learn Spanish--that’s an instructor privado or maestro privado. A tutor is a guardian in the legal sense--a person who has legal responsibility and authority for the welfare of another.

Vaso.  Is a glass or tumbler for drinking from (see copa).  "Vase" is a florero or jarrón.