Part of speech: Verb
Phonetic transcription: /korˈtaɾ/
Meanings: The word "cortar" in Spanish means "to cut" in English. It is a very common verb used in both oral and written contexts. It can refer to physically cutting something, as well as figuratively ending or interrupting something.
Usage patterns: "Cortar" is a frequently used verb in Spanish, found in both spoken and written language. It is versatile and can be applied in various contexts, from cooking ("cortar las verduras" - to chop the vegetables) to relationships ("cortar con alguien" - to break up with someone).
Verb forms: - Present: corto, cortas, corta, cortamos, cortáis, cortan - Preterite: corté, cortaste, cortó, cortamos, cortasteis, cortaron - Imperfect: cortaba, cortabas, cortaba, cortábamos, cortabais, cortaban - Conditional: cortaría, cortarías, cortaría, cortaríamos, cortaríais, cortarían - Future: cortaré, cortarás, cortará, cortaremos, cortaréis, cortarán - Subjunctive (Present): corte, cortes, corte, cortemos, cortéis, corten - Subjunctive (Imperfect): cortara, cortaras, cortara, cortáramos, cortarais, cortaran - Imperative: corta (tú), corte (usted), cortad (vosotros), corten (ustedes) - Gerund: cortando
Example phrases: 1. Voy a cortar el tomate para la ensalada. (I am going to cut the tomato for the salad.) 2. Cristina cortó la cuerda con unas tijeras. (Cristina cut the rope with scissors.)
Idiomatic expressions: - "Cortar por lo sano" - to take drastic measures. - Example: "Si la situación no mejora, habrá que cortar por lo sano y empezar de nuevo." (If the situation doesn't improve, we will have to take drastic measures and start over.)
Example: "En esta oficina, es el jefe quien corta el bacalao." (In this office, it's the boss who is in charge.)
"Cortar las alas" - to limit someone's freedom or opportunities.
Example: "Sus padres le cortaron las alas al no dejarle estudiar en el extranjero." (His parents limited his opportunities by not letting him study abroad.)
"Cortar por lo sano" - to put an end to something harmful or negative.
Example: "Decidieron cortar por lo sano y despedir al empleado problemático." (They decided to put an end to it and fire the problematic employee.)
"Cortar de raíz" - to eliminate a problem completely.
Etymology: The word "cortar" comes from the Latin word "cōrtāre," which means "to cut."
Synonyms and Antonyms: - Synonyms: rebanar (slice), tajar (slash), seccionar (section) - Antonyms: unir (join), pegar (stick), empalmar (splice)