Author: dc

Masculine noun. Formerly lumbral, from the Latin limes, border, house border. This term has mainly two meanings: 1. in general Spanish it is the lower part or step in the door or entrance of a house or building. E.g.: Fitz se detuvo en el umbral: Fitz stopped in the doorway. 2. In Economics and Mathematics, umbral is the minimum value of a magnitude from which a certain effect occurs. E.g.: Una familia necesitó 66.500 pesos para superar el umbral de pobreza en junio: A family needed 66,500 pesos to overcome the poverty threshold in June. dc

Verb. To save money, energy or any other fungible goods as a forecast for future needs. E.g.: Si el mundo ahorrase 20% de la energía que usa para iluminar los hogares, las oficinas y las calles, podríamos ahorrar…: If the world saved 20% of the energy it uses to light homes, offices and roads, we could save.
The noun is el ahorro. dc

Feminine noun. This term is used mainly in Economics and it refers to a closed and covered place built to be inhabited by people. As you can see, it has the same root of vivir. E.g.: La compra de vivienda se dispara un 124% y el precio cae un 3,6%: ¿dónde está más activo el mercado?: Home purchases soar 124% and the price falls 3.6%: where is the market most active?. dc

Verb. This term has two main meanings somehow related to each other. 1. To call formally one or more people to attend a specific place or event. E.g.: ¿Quiénes son los expertos que convocó la ANEP para repensar el futuro de la educación?: Who are the experts called by ANEP to rethink the future of education? 2. To announce, to make public an act, such as a contest, competitive examinations, a strike, etc., so that whoever is interested can participate. This term is used in expressions such as, convocar elecciones (to call an election), convocar una licitación (to call for tenders), convocar un concurso, etc. E.g.: JCE convoca licitación internacional para comprar papel de seguridad para actas: EC announces international tender to buy security paper for minutes.
In the first case, the noun is la convocación: la convocación de los expertos; and in the second la convocatoria: la convocatoria a licitación (the call for tenders). As you can see, we are always speaking about a call. dc

Masculine noun. To give something to someone to use for some time and then return it. E.g.: El granjero obtuvo un préstamo para comprar un tractor nuevo: The farmer took out a loan to buy a new tractor.
The lexcial expression is tomar/pedir un préstamo if you are the borrower or deudor and dar un préstamo or prestar if you are the creditor or acreedor.
Curiously, in Spanish we do not have a verb to express the concept of ‘to borrow’; we say instead pedir/tomar prestado. E.g.: Do not borrow or lend to others: No le preste, o pida prestado a otras personas. dc