Category: Legal Spanish Vocabulary

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

Feminine noun. Another term with several meanings. These ones are relevant to us:
1. Decrease in the price, value and estimate of something. E.g.: Esto se demuestra por la tendencia a la baja de los precios de venta de la industria comunitaria en el período considerado: This is demonstrated by the decreasing trend in the Community industry’s sales prices over the period considered. The verb is bajar and the lexical locution is estar a la baja. E.g.; Los precios de las viviendas están a la baja: property prices are down.
2. Act in which the cessation is declared in industries or professions subject to tax and also the tax form to effect such withdrawal. The lexical locution is darse de baja de and dar de baja (de). E.g.: Me di de baja del impuesto a las ganacias: I unsubscribed from income tax.
3. Cessation of a person in a service, professional body, association, etc., and the document that accredits such act. The lexical locutions are also darse de baja de and dar de baja (de). E.g.: ¿Cómo me doy de baja del servicio? How can I unregister from the service?
4. Leave granted to a worker for a period of time in cases of illness, accident, etc. The lexical locutions is estar de baja. E.g.: María estuvo de baja por maternidad de enero a abril de 2021 y volvió a su cargo en mayo de 2021. María was on maternity leave from January to April 2021 and joined again in May 2021. dc.