11. Which Is which? (detrás, to become, look)

Question 1

___ is just like detrás and can be discarded for the moment.

Answer 1

trás

Question 2

Usually: detrás de or atrás de?

Answer 2

use detrás de and you’ll usually be right.

Question 3

In reference to someone coming up behind or after someone else:

“in pursuit of”

“back there somewhere”; or “later”

Answer 3

detrás de

atrás de

Question 4

Where’s your Mom?

“viene atrás de mi”

Answer 4

she’s coming behind me (later).

Question 5

Where’s your Mom?

“viene datrás de mi”

Answer 5

she’s coming after me (in hot pursuit)

Question 6

____ suggests a spacial relationship, or one thing being behind another, or one thing blocking another.

Answer 6

detrás

Question 7

___ is vague, meaning ‘in back’, ‘back there somewhere,’ or ‘behind’ (the speaker)

Answer 7

atrás

Question 8

Hay una montaña detrás de tu casa. But if someone inside your house asks where it is, you say:

Answer 8

alla atrás

Question 9

When you don’t need ‘de’, use: atrás or detrás?

Answer 9

atrás (meaning as an adverb)

Question 10

detrás or atrás covers backward motion?

Answer 10

atrás

Question 11

va hacia atrás/detrás

va para atrás/detrás

Answer 11

atrás

Question 12

He’s backing out.

Answer 12

Se está echando para atrás.

Question 13

Don’t look back.

Answer 13

No mires atrás.

Question 14

‘back’ in the sense of ‘returned’: ____ or _____

Answer 14

de regreso; de vuelta (both are used with estar)

Question 15

He’s back now after his trip.

Answer 15

Él está de vuelta/regreso después de su viaje. (of course volver and regresar convey the same thing: instead of estar + vuelta de).

Question 16

“back” of the bus/theatre/etc.

Answer 16

el fondo

Question 17

‘bottom’ of a glass/swimming pool/etc.

Answer 17

el fondo

Question 18

‘to the back’ ‘all the way to the back’

Answer 18

al fondo

Question 19

‘in the back’ vs ‘at the very back’

Answer 19

atrás vs. al fondo

Question 20

‘all the way back on your right’

Answer 20

al fondo a la derecha

Question 21

As a rule, ____ is the handiest word for ‘to become’

Answer 21

ponerse

Question 22

____ in general, is for fleeting states of mind or conditions.

Answer 22

ponerse

Question 23

‘to get/become furious’

Answer 23

ponerse furioso

Question 24

‘to get/become old’

Answer 24

ponerse viejo

Question 25

'to get/become nervous'

Answer 25

ponserse nervioso

Question 26

For longer term, usually nonreversable conditions, ____ is the verb you usually want.

Answer 26

hacerse

Question 27

I became/got rich.

Answer 27

Me hice rico.

Question 28

The penny is becoming useless.

Answer 28

El penique está haciendo inútil.

Question 29

The new dance is becoming popular.

Answer 29

El nuevo baile está haciendo popular.

Question 30

____ viejo suggests 'becoming an old person' or 'becoming elderly. ___ viejo suggests 'starting to feel/look old.'

Answer 30

hacerse; ponerse

Question 31

'to turn into'

Answer 31

volverse; it involves a more sudden and unexpected change than hacerse, but both convey a more or less lasting new state.

Question 32

He's become a real nuisance.

Answer 32

Se ha vuelto una verdadura molestia.

Question 33

'Se volvió rico'

Answer 33

he got rich (with the impression of overnight wealth- like winning the lottery, there is a hint that the wealth was not deserved)

Question 34

"to go crazy"

Answer 34

volverse loco

Question 35

"turned into" - a more thoroughgoing, physical change. 2 words:

Answer 35

transformarse; convertirse

Question 36

The water becomes steam.

Answer 36

El agua se transforma en vapor. (also could be convertirse)

Question 37

Clark Kent turns into (becomes) vapor.

Answer 37

Clark Kent se convierte en superman. (or transformarse)

Question 38

He's become a good writer. (figurative expression)

Answer 38

Se ha convertido en un buen escritor. (or transformarse)

Question 39

'to turn out to be'

Answer 39

llegar a ser

Question 40

The formula turned out to be useful.

Answer 40

La fórmula llegó a ser útil.

Question 41

___ __ ___ also covers the phrase 'to become' in the sense of 'worked his way up to'

Answer 41

llegar a ser

Question 42

After a lot of hard work, he became a doctor.

Answer 42

Después de muchos esfuerzos, él llegó a ser médico. (in many cases, an easier construction can be made with resultar)

Question 43

This book turned out to be interesting. (resultar)

Answer 43

Este libro resultó ser interesante.

Question 44

'to get/become hot'

Answer 44

acolarse

Question 45

'to get/become sad'

Answer 45

entristecerse

Question 46

'to get/become cold'

Answer 46

enfriarse

Question 47

'to get/become close'

Answer 47

acercarse

Question 48

'to get/become wet'

Answer 48

mojarse

Question 49

'to get/become tired'

Answer 49

cansarse

Question 50

You look good.

Answer 50

Te ves bien.

Question 51

It looks horrible.

Answer 51

Se ve horrible.

Question 52

How do I look?

Answer 52

¿Cómo me veo?

Question 53

That man looks like my father.

Answer 53

Ese hombre se parece a mi padre.

Question 54

It looks like (as if it's going to) rain.

Answer 54

Parece que va a llover.