Locuciones verbales
upon | up on |
| act upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (do [sth] in response) | actuar por vi + prep |
| | Harry acted upon Alice's request. |
| act upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (have an effect on) | actuar sobre vi + prep |
| | The drug acts upon the nervous system. |
| acted upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (responded to, followed) | llevado a cabo loc verb |
| | The suggestions were made, but they were never acted upon. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Se hicieron muchas propuestas pero las llevadas a cabo fueron muy pocas. |
| advance upon [sb/sth] vtr phrasal insep | (invade, move in to attack) | atacar⇒ vtr |
| | The swarm of killer bees advanced upon the unsuspecting cow that was grazing in the pasture. |
| | El enjambre atacó a una pobre vaca que pastaba en el prado. |
bear on [sth],
bear upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | formal (be relevant to) | pesar sobre vi + prep |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Su política financiera pesará sobre nuestra forma de actuar el próximo trimestre. |
build on [sth],
build upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (develop further) | construir sobre vtr + prep |
| | | basarse en v prnl + prep |
| | The beginners' course will give you a good base which you can build on. |
| | Puedes construir una carrera sobre la base que te da el curso de principiantes. |
| build upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (develop further) | usar de base loc verb |
| | The new head coach said he would build upon the team's existing strengths. |
| | El nuevo entrenador dijo que usaría de base el potencial existente del equipo. |
| | | desarrollar⇒ vtr |
| | El nuevo entrenador dijo que desarrollaría el potencial del equipo. |
| | | basarse en v prnl + prep |
| | El nuevo entrenador dijo que se basaría en el potencial existente del equipo. |
| build [sth] upon [sth] vtr phrasal sep | (base on) | construir sobre vtr + prep |
| | | basar en vtr + prep |
| | They built the city upon firm foundations. |
| | Construyeron la ciudad sobre firmes cimientos. |
| burst upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | (leap, pounce) | abalanzarse⇒ v prnl |
| burst upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (appear) (ES) | irrumpir⇒ vi |
| | Tara Lipinski burst upon the world of gymnastics as a bouncy fifteen-year-old. |
call on [sb] for [sth],
call upon vtr phrasal insep | (seek help) | recurrir a vi + prep |
| | | acudir a vi + prep |
| | John called on his friends for support. |
| | Juan recurrió a sus amigos para que lo apoyaran. |
call on [sb],
call upon vtr phrasal insep | (turn to [sb] for help) | recurrir a vi + prep |
| | | acudir a vi + prep |
| | When you need help, then who can you call upon if not your friends? |
| | Cuando necesitas ayuda, ¿puedes recurrir a tus amigos? |
call on [sb] to do [sth],
call upon [sb] to do [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (request that [sb] do [sth]) | llamar a alguien para hacer algo loc verb |
| | The union called on the workers to support a strike. |
| | El sindicato llamó a los trabajadores para que apoyen el paro. |
center on [sb/sth],
center upon [sb/sth] (US),
centre on [sb/sth],
centre upon [sb/sth] (UK) vtr phrasal insep | (have as main topic) | centrar⇒ vtr |
| | | concentrar⇒ vtr |
| | His talk centered on one key issue. |
| | Centró su discurso en un tema principal. |
chance on [sth],
chance upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (unexpectedly encounter [sb/sth]) (objeto) | encontrar por casualidad vtr + loc adv |
| | (persona) | encontrarse por casualidad con loc verb + prep |
| | (persona) | toparse con, cruzarse con v prnl + prep |
| | Walking throught the woods, I chanced upon young rabbits cavorting in the tall grass. |
| | Mientras caminaba por el bosque, encontré por casualidad unos conejos que jugaban entre la hierba alta. |
come upon [sth],
come on vtr phrasal insep | (find by chance, encounter) | encontrarse con v prnl + prep |
| | | toparse con v prnl + prep |
| | | tropezarse con v prnl + prep |
| | The kids were thrilled to come upon a small gingerbread house in the woods. |
| | Los niños estaban felices de haberse encontrado con una pequeña casa de jengibre en el bosque. |
| concentrate upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | slightly formal (focus your attention on) | concentrarse en v prnl |
| | The last thing I remember is the hypnotist telling me to concentrate upon the watch. |
| | Lo último que recuerdo es al hipnotizador diciéndome que me concentrara en el reloj. |
| count upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | (depend on, rely on) | contar con loc verb |
| | I should like to thank you for your help, and assure you that you may count upon my support at any time. |
depend on [sth],
depend upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (be determined by [sth]) | depender de vi + prep |
| | Whether the heating will be fixed today depends on the repairman's schedule. |
| | Que la calefacción se arregle hoy depende de lo ocupado que esté el técnico. |
depend on [sth],
depend upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (be assured of) | confiar en vi + prep |
| | You may depend absolutely upon your solicitor's discretion. |
| | Debes confiar en la discreción de tu abogado. |
depend on [sth],
depend upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (trust in [sth]) | confiar en vtr + prep |
| | I depended on her ability to keep a secret. |
| | Confié en su capacidad para guardar secretos. |
depend on [sb],
depend upon [sb] vtr phrasal sep | (be supported financially by) (económicamente) | depender de vi + prep |
| | In the 1950s, most women in the US did not do paid work and depended on their husbands. |
| | En los años 50, la mayoría de las mujeres de Estados Unidos no tenían un trabajo pagado y dependían de sus maridos. |
depend on [sb],
depend upon [sb] vtr phrasal sep | (rely on [sb]) | depender de vi + prep |
| | | contar con vi + prep |
| | She is a proud lady and doesn't like having to depend on her relatives for help. |
| | Es una mujer orgullosa y no le gusta tener que depender de sus parientes. |
| draw upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | (use as source or resource) | recurrir a vi + prep |
| | | hacer uso de loc verb |
| | To pass the final exam, the students must draw upon everything they have learned in the course. |
| | Para pasar el examen final, los estudiantes deben recurrir a todo lo que han aprendido durante el curso. |
encroach upon [sth],
encroach on [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (property: trespass) (propiedad) | invadir⇒, traspasar⇒ vtr |
encroach upon [sth],
encroach on [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (rights: infringe) (derechos) | infringir⇒, violar⇒ vtr |
encroach upon [sth],
encroach on [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (infringe on land) | invadir⇒ vtr |
| | Their oak tree has begun to encroach on my property. |
| | Su roble ha empezado a invadir mi propiedad. |
enlarge upon [sth],
enlarge on [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (go into more detail about) | ahondar en detalles loc verb |
| | In this book, the author enlarges upon some topics she mentioned briefly in her previous book. |
| | | extenderse sobre, explayarse sobre v prnl + prep |
| | | pormenorizar⇒ vtr |
| | | entrar en detalles loc verb |
fall on [sth/sb],
fall upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | (attack, assault) | atacar a vtr + prep |
| | The group of men fell on Pete, punching and kicking him. |
| | El grupo de hombres atacó a Pete. Le dieron puñetazos y patadas. |
fall on [sth],
fall upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (eat hungrily) | devorar⇒ vtr |
| | I could tell by the way the homeless man fell upon the burger that he hadn't eaten all day. |
| | Por como el hombre que vivía en la calle devoró la hamburguesa, era claro que no había comido en todo el día. |
fall on [sth],
fall upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (opportunity: grab enthusiastically) | aprovechar⇒ vtr |
| | | agarrar⇒ vtr |
| | Being a huge fan of the band, Stella fell upon the chance to see them in concert. |
| | Siendo una gran fanática de la banda, Stella aprovechó la oportunidad de verlos en concierto. |
fall on [sb/sth],
fall upon [sb/sth] vtr phrasal insep | (attack) | asaltar a vtr + prep |
| | | abalanzarse sobre v prnl + prep |
| | | precipitarse sobre v prnl + prep |
| | The two men fell on their victim as he was walking down the street. |
| | Los dos hombres asaltaron a la víctima mientras caminaba por la calle. |
fall on [sth],
fall upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (food: eat eagerly) | devorar⇒ vtr |
| | The man fell on the crust of bread as though he had not eaten for days. |
| | El hombre devoró el mendrugo de pan como si no hubiese comido por varios días. |
fall on [sb],
fall upon [sb] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (person: greet, embrace) | abrazar a vtr + prep |
| | Derek fell upon his brother and they wept with joy at being reunited. |
| | Derek abrazó a su hermano y lloraron de alegría por estar reunidos. |
| feast upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (eat with pleasure) | deleitarse la vista loc verb, expr |
frown on [sth/sb],
frown upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (disapprove of) | ver con malos ojos loc verb |
| | | desaprobar⇒ vtr |
| | Teachers frown on students being late for class. |
| | Management frowns upon employees socializing at the water cooler. |
| | Los profesores ven con malos ojos a los estudiantes que llegan tarde. |
gain on [sb],
gain upon [sb] vtr phrasal insep | (catch up with) | alcanzar a vtr + prep |
| | (formal) | dar alcance a loc verb |
| | Drive faster - the police are gaining on us! |
| | Conduce más rápido, ¡la policía nos está alcanzando! |
| gain upon [sb/sth] vtr phrasal insep | (catch up with) (persona) | alcanzar a vtr + prep |
| | | recuperar terreno loc verb |
| | | acortar distancias loc verb |
| | | recortar la diferencia loc verb |
| | | llegar al nivel de loc verb |
| hang upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (depend on) | depender de vi + prep |
| | | estar supeditado a loc verb |
| | Success or failure hangs upon this one small detail. |
| | El éxito o el fracaso depende de este pequeño detalle. |
happen on [sth/sb],
happen upon [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | dated, literary (find, encounter) | encontrarse con v prnl + prep |
| | | toparse con v prnl + prep |
| | | encontrar⇒ vtr |
| | I happened on an interesting article about Cuba in the newspaper. |
| | Me encontré con un artículo interesante sobre Cuba en el diario. |
hinge on [sth],
hinge upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (rely, depend on [sth]) | depender de vi + prep |
| | | girar sobre vi + prep |
| | The business deal hinges upon securing a loan. |
| | El trato de negocios depende de asegurar un préstamo. |
hit on [sth],
hit upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (idea, plan: devise, discover) | ocurrírsele algo a vi + prep |
| | I have hit upon a great way to save money: stay in bed all day! |
| | Se me ocurrió una forma genial de ahorrar dinero: ¡quedarme en cama todo el día! |
impress [sth] on [sb],
impress [sth] upon [sb],
impress upon [sb] [sth] vtr phrasal sep | (stress the importance of) | recalcar algo a loc verb |
| | | subrayar la importancia de algo a loc verb |
| | | inculcar algo en alguien loc verb |
| | I must impress upon you all the need for complete secrecy. |
| | Ken tried to impress the importance of hard work on his children. |
| | Quiero recalcarles a ustedes la importancia de mantener un secreto absoluto. // Ken trató de recalcarle a sus hijos la importancia del trabajo duro. |
| | | recordarle a alguien la importancia de loc verb |
| | | enfatizar la importancia de loc verb |
| | Quiero recordarles a ustedes la importancia de mantener un secreto absoluto. // Ken trató de recordarles a sus hijos la importancia del trabajo duro. |
| improve upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (do better than, make better) | mejorar⇒ vtr |
| | | perfeccionar⇒ vtr |
| | The unions have given the company three days to improve upon their offer before calling for all-out strikes. |
| | Los sindicatos le han dado a la empresa tres días para que mejoren su propuesta antes de que se llame a un paro general. |
Compound Forms:
upon | up on |
| agree upon [sth] vi + prep | slightly formal (decide mutually) | acordar⇒, convenir⇒ vtr |
| | | ponerse de acuerdo en loc verb + prep |
| | The two men agreed upon a price for the secondhand car. |
| | Los dos hombres acordaron el precio del coche usado. |
| agreed-upon adj | (terms, price: decided, settled) | acordado adj |
| | | pactado adj |
| | | convenido adj |
| | The seller is entitled to seek damages if the buyer fails to pay the agreed-upon price. |
| | El vendedor tiene derecho a solicitar una indemnización si el comprador no paga el precio acordado. |
bank on [sth/sb],
bank upon [sth/sb] vi + prep | figurative (rely, bet) | contar con vtr + prep |
| | I'm banking on the stock market recovering; otherwise I won't have enough retirement funds. |
| | Estoy contando con la recuperación del mercado de valores, de otro modo no tendré una jubilación suficiente. |
base [sth] on [sth],
base [sth] upon [sth] vtr + prep | often passive (use as evidence) | basar en, fundamentar en vtr + prep |
| | | cimentar en vtr + prep |
| Note: "Base on" is more common than "base upon." These expressions are often used in the passive voice--e.g., "My opinion is based on facts, not rumor." |
| | She based her conclusion on close examination of the evidence. |
| | Basó su conclusión en un cuidadoso examen de la evidencia. |
base [sth] on [sth],
base [sth] upon [sth] vtr + prep | (adapt from) | basar en vtr + prep |
| Note: "Base on" is more common than "base upon." These expressions are often used in the passive voice--e.g., "The movie is based on a true story." |
| | They will base the film on a short story written by Mark Twain. |
| | Van a basar la película en un cuento corto de Mark Twain. |
be based on [sth],
be based upon [sth] v expr | (be adapted from [sth]) | basarse en v prnl + prep |
| | | estar basado en loc verb |
| | Many movies are based on true stories. |
| | The play is based on the novel of the same name. |
| | Muchas películas se basan en hechos reales. |
based on [sth],
based upon [sth] expr | (founded on) | basado en adj + prep |
| | | fundamentado en adj + prep |
| | Some countries have laws based upon state religions. |
| | Ciertos países tienen leyes basadas en las religiones oficiales. |
based on [sth],
based upon [sth] expr | (adapted from [sth]) | basado en adj + prep |
| | Based on a true story. |
| | Basado en una historia real. |
batten on [sth],
batten upon [sth] vi + prep | rare (grow fat on) | engordar con vi + prep |
| | The sheep are battening well on the rich grass in the meadow. |
batten on [sth],
batten upon [sth] vi + prep | (feed greedily on) | comerse todo loc verb |
| | The revellers sat down at the table and battened upon the food. |
batten on [sb],
batten upon [sb] vi + prep | UK, figurative (prosper at [sb]'s expense) | aprovecharse de v prnl + prep |
| | The millionaire is famous for gaining his wealth by battening on others. |
| bear upon [sth] vi + prep | formal (be relevant) | tener relevancia loc verb |
| | | tener que ver con loc verb |
| | How will these new findings bear upon our approach to educating children? |
| | ¿Qué relevancia tendrán estos resultados en nuestra manera de educar a los niños? |
bestow [sth] on [sb],
bestow [sth] upon [sb] vtr + prep | formal (present, give [sb]: an award, gift) | otorgarle algo a alguien loc verb + prep |
| | (formal) | concederle algo a alguien, conferirle algo a alguien loc verb + prep |
| | The head of the Board of Education bestowed the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award on Mrs. Hall. |
| | The king bestowed knighthoods on his most loyal subjects. |
| | El director de la Junta de Educación le otorgó el premio al Mejor Maestro del Año a la señora Hall. |
| cast your bread upon the waters v expr | (do good without expecting a reward) | hacer el bien sin mirar a quien expr |
comment,
comment on [sth],
comment upon [sth] vi + prep | (make remarks) | opinar⇒ vi |
| | The President refused to comment on his secretary's accusations. |
| | El presidente se negó a opinar sobre las acusaciones de su secretaria. |
| confer [sth] on/upon [sb]⇒ vtr | (give or bestow [sth]) | conferir algo a loc verb |
| | | conceder algo a loc verb |
| | | otorgar algo a loc verb |
| | The president conferred the medal of honor upon the soldier. |
| | El presidente confirió la medalla de honor al soldado. |
contingent on [sth],
contingent upon [sth] adj + prep | (dependent on) | supeditado a participio + prep |
| | | depender de vi + prep |
| | My offer to buy the house is contingent upon obtaining a mortgage. |
| | Mi oferta de comprarte la casa está supeditada a obtener la hipoteca. |
dawn on [sb],
dawn upon [sb] v expr | figurative (become apparent) | percatarse⇒ v prnl |
| | All of a sudden, the enormity of what I had done dawned on me. |
| | De repente, me percaté de la magnitud de los que había hecho. |
depend on doing [sth],
depend upon doing [sth] v expr | (necessitate doing) | depender de vi + prep |
| | | depender de que vi + prep + conj |
| | Getting a driving licence depends upon passing the written and practical examinations. |
| | La obtención de la licencia de conducir depende de la aprobación del examen teórico y práctico. |
| | La obtención de la licencia de conducir depende de que uno apruebe el examen teórico y práctico. |
depend on [sb] to do [sth],
depend upon [sb] to do [sth] v expr | (rely on [sb] doing [sth]) | depender de alguien para loc verb |
| | I depend on Barbara to drive me to the hospital each week. |
| | Dependo de Bárbara para que me lleve al hospital todas las semanas. |
dependent on [sth],
dependent upon [sth] adj | (requiring [sth]) | depende de vi + prep |
| | | dependiente de adj + prep |
| | Whether or not the barbecue goes ahead is dependent on the weather. |
| | Si se hace o no la barbacoa depende del clima. |
| depending upon prep | (depending on) | dependiendo de prep |
| | We'll devise a seating plan depending upon who shows up. |
| | Veremos cómo nos sentamos dependiendo de quién llegue. |
devolve to [sb/sth],
devolve on [sb/sth],
devolve upon [sb/sth] vi + prep | formal (be transferred) | transferir a vtr + prep |
| | Power in the UK has devolved to individual nations and regions. |
dwell on [sth/sb],
dwell upon vi + prep | (be preoccupied with) | mortificarse por v prnl + prep |
| | Try not to dwell on your failures. |
| | Trata de no mortificarte por tus fracasos. |
| | | afligirse por v prnl + prep |
| | Trata de no afligirte por tus fracasos. |
| | | preocuparse por v prnl + prep |
| | Trata de no preocuparte por tus fracasos. |
dwell on [sth],
dwell upon vi + prep | (speak extensively about) | extenderse⇒ v prnl |
| | | dilatar⇒ vtr |
| | In her lecture, the professor dwelt a great deal on the similar themes in the two texts. |
| | En su lección, la profesora se extendió bastante sobre las similitudes entre los dos textos. |
embark on [sth],
embark upon [sth] vi + prep | (journey: start) | embarcarse en v prnl + prep |
| | | aventurarse en v prnl + prep |
| | What should you take before you embark on a three-day hike? |
| | ¿Qué debes llevar cuando te embarcas en una escalada de tres días? |
embark on [sth],
embark upon [sth] vi + prep | (project: start) | embarcarse en v prnl + prep |
| | | lanzarse⇒ v prnl |
| | We had no idea what the project would involve when we embarked on it. |
| | No teníamos idea de qué suponía el proyecto cuando nos embarcamos en él. |
fall on [sth],
fall upon [sth] vi + prep | (come to rest on) | posarse⇒ v prnl |
| | Her gaze fell upon the letter I was writing. |
| | Su mirada se posó en la carta que yo escribía. |
fall on [sth],
fall upon [sth] vi + prep | figurative (occur on) | caer en vi + prep |
| | (AmL; días de la semana) | caer⇒ vi |
| | My birthday falls on a Saturday this year. |
| | The election falls on my birthday. |
| | Este año mi cumpleaños cae en sábado. // Las elecciones caen en mi cumpleaños. |
| | Este año mi cumpleaños cae sábado. |
fall on [sb/sth],
fall upon [sb/sth] vi + prep | (eyes: look at [sth]) (sobre alguien) | caer sobre vtr + prep |
| | The teacher's eyes scanned the room and fell on Joshua's nervous face. |
| | El profesor escaneó la habitación y su mirada cayó sobre el rostro nervioso de Joshua. |
fall on deaf ears,
fall upon deaf ears v expr | figurative, potentially offensive (be ignored) | hacer oídos sordos, caer en oídos sordos loc verb |
| Note: La expresión en español tiene un uso transitivo y no pasivo. |
| | Susan was worried that her advice would fall on deaf ears. |
fall on hard times,
fall upon hard times v expr | (be in financial difficulties) | tener problemas financieros, pasar por un mal momento, pasar apuros económicos loc verb |
| | The company fell on hard times and eventually had to close down. |
feast your eyes on [sth],
feast your eyes upon [sth] v expr | (gaze at: [sth] sumptuous) | deleitarse con v prnl + prep |
| fire upon [sth] vi + prep | (with weapon: shoot) | abrir fuego sobre loc verb |
| | | disparar contra vi + prep |
| | As soon as I give the order, fire upon the battleship. |
| | En cuanto dé la orden, abran fuego sobre el acorazado. |
| fire upon [sb] vi + prep | (with weapon: shoot) | dispararle a vi + prep |
| | | disparar contra vi + prep |
| | The soldiers in the tower fired upon the defenceless people below. |
| | Los soldados en la torre le dispararon a la gente indefensa que estaba debajo. |
fixate on [sth],
fixate upon [sth] vi + prep | (be obsessed) | obsesionarse⇒ v prnl |
| | | tener fijación con algo loc verb |
| | (MX, jerga) | clavarse⇒ v prnl |
| | You need to stop fixating on the small details and try to look at the big picture. |
| be frowned upon v expr | figurative (be disapproved of) | estar mal visto loc verb |
| | | no estar bien visto loc verb |
| | In some countries it is frowned upon to slurp your soup. |
hang on [sb]'s every word,
hang upon [sb]'s every word,
hang on [sb]'s words v expr | (attend very closely to) | estar muy pendiente de loc verb |
| | | prestar atención a loc verb |
| | Now that was interesting! I hung upon his every word. |
| | ¡Eso fue interesante! Estuve muy pendiente de cada una de sus palabras. |
hard on [sth],
hard upon [sth] adv + prep | (near, coming up to) | cerca de adv + prep |
| | | casi adv |
| | It was hard upon nightfall when they arrived. |
| | Era cerca de medianoche cuando llegaron. |
| have mercy upon [sb] v expr | (take pity on) | apiadarse de v prnl + prep |
| | | tener piedad de loc verb + prep |
| | | tener compasión de loc verb + prep |
| | God is willing to have mercy upon sinners. |
| | Dios está dispuesto a apiadarse de los pecadores. |
impinge on [sth],
impinge upon [sth] vi + prep | (encroach: on [sb]'s rights) | infringir⇒ vtr |
| | | transgredir⇒ vtr |
| | | vulnerar⇒ vtr |
| | Their demands impinge on local farmers' rights. |
| | Sus demandas infringen los derechos de los granjeros locales. |
impinge on [sth],
impinge upon [sth] vi + prep | (have impact: on [sth]) | impactar en vtr + prep |
| | | afectar⇒ vtr |
| | Pressure from work is impinging on his personal life. |
| | La presión del trabajo está impactando en su vida privada. |
| impose upon [sb] vi + prep | slightly formal (force yourself on [sb]) | imponerse sobre, imponerse ante v prnl + prep |
| impose upon [sb] vi + prep | slightly formal (inconvenience [sb]) | ser una molestia para loc verb |
| | | molestar a vtr + prep |
impose yourself on [sb],
impose yourself upon [sb] v expr | (force yourself on [sb]) | imponerse ante v prnl + prep |
incumbent on [sb],
incumbent upon [sb] adj + prep | (obligatory for [sb]) | corresponderle a alguien v prnl + prep |
| | | ser deber de alguien loc verb + prep |
| | The duty of managing finances is incumbent on the organization's treasurer. |
| | El deber de gestionar las finanzas le corresponde al tesorero de la organización. |