apretar el acelerador
/apɾetaɾ el aθeleɾadoɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "drop the hammer" can be translated into Spanish as apretar el acelerador.
apretar el acelerador is used to describe the action of suddenly increasing the speed of a vehicle by pressing the accelerator firmly.
How do you pronounce it?
/apɾetaɾ el aθeleɾadoɾ/
Did you know?
- In Latin America, you might hear darle mecha to describe suddenly accelerating, which refers to the 'fuse' or 'wick' of an explosive.
- The verb apretar is derived from the Latin word pectus, meaning 'chest'. This suggests that the original sense of the word was to press something against the chest.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, apretar can be used colloquially to mean 'to pressure' someone or to put them in a difficult spot, moving beyond physical pressure.
Examples in context
- Tienes que apretar el acelerador para adelantar.You have to floor it to overtake.
- Él decidió apretar el acelerador al ver la luz verde.He decided to drop the hammer when he saw the green light.
- No es bueno apretar el acelerador de forma tan brusca.It is not good to floor it so suddenly.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are driving on a highway.
- María¡El semáforo se va a poner en rojo!The light is about to turn red!
- Daniel¡Entendido, voy a apretar el acelerador!Got it, I'm going to floor it!
- María¡Cuidado, Daniel, vas demasiado rápido!Careful, Daniel, you are going too fast!
- DanielLo siento, solo quería pasar a tiempo.Sorry, I just wanted to make it in time.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acelerador, apretar, el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
