Time for some more practical hints about Spanish usage through a comparison of two related words, with an opportunity for practice thrown in. Today’s two some are práctica and práctico.
Starting with the feminine form práctica, you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
La práctica is very similar to its usual English equivalent. So whether referring to
- the practical application of something as opposed to theory about it
- those repeated attempts at doing something which lead to improvement
- the usual/customary way of doing something
- or the exercise of a profession in accordance with its rules and regulations
its English counterpart is practice:
una revista dedicada a la teoría y práctica de la educación
a magazine devoted to educational theory and practice
Pasaron varios años antes de que sus teorías se pusieran en práctica.
It was several years before his theories were put into practice.
Con la práctica, los aterrizajes suaves son fáciles de conseguir.
With practice, smooth landings are easy to achieve.
Hay que desarrollar buenas prácticas para acelerar la justicia penal.
We need to develop good practices to speed up criminal justice.
In contexts where a person gains or haspráctica, experience may be an appropriate translation:
Esto le permite adquirir más práctica en el dibujo de figuras.
This allows him to get more experience of figure drawing.
Tiene práctica realizando varias tareas simultáneamente.
She has experience of carrying out several tasks at the same time.
Sometimes another construction may sound more natural in English:
El verano puede ser una época muy oportuna para iniciarse en la práctica deportiva.
The summer may be a very good time to start doing or playing sport.
In the plural las prácticas may refer to practical training and exercises (often career-oriented or on the job) carried out under the supervision or guidance of those with experience in the field. The translation varies according to the sphere it relates to:
Completó sus prácticas en una escuela de periodistas de negocios.
He completed his training at a school of business journalists.
Estudió medicina en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, realizando prácticas en los hospitales Niño Jesús y La Princesa.
She studied medicine at the Autonomous University of Madrid, doing placements at the Niño Jesús and La Princesa hospitals.
Los profesores en prácticas recibían casi el salario de maestros.
Those doing teaching practice were paid almost the same salary as teachers.
Los alumnos de posgrado pueden hacer prácticas externas en más de catorce empresas e instituciones.
Postgraduate students can do internships or work placements in more than fourteen businesses and institutions.
Turning to the masculine práctico, you can listen to its pronunciation here:
Un práctico is someone with navigational skills and local knowledge of currents and underwater hazards who guides vessels in and out of ports or through tricky stretches of water – a pilot:
Puede ser navegado sólo si se cuenta con un práctico.
It can only be navigated with the help of a pilot.
Práctico (together with the inflected forms práctica, prácticos and prácticas) is also an adjective. As you may imagine, it’s often equivalent to practical in English (though handy may be useful in some contexts):
Hay dos exámenes: un examen teórico y un examen práctico.
There are two exams: a theory exam and a practical exam.
Una solución práctica es plantar árboles nativos de rápido crecimiento.
A practical solution is to plant fast-growing native trees.
Este reloj despertador es práctico y fácil de usar.
This alarm clock is practical and easy to use.
Soy una persona muy práctica.
I’m a very practical person.
Es una guía práctica para cualquier persona que quiere aprender a coser.
It’s a practical or handy guide for anyone wishing to learn to sew.
DID YOU KNOW?
While in English a practice can be a business run by doctors or lawyers, in Spanish you need to use una consulta or un consultorio for a medical one and un bufete for a legal one:
Decidió cerrar su consulta privada para dedicarse plenamente al servicio público de salud.
He decided to close his private practice to devote himself fully to the public health service.
En este año también inició su trabajo como psicóloga particular y abrió su consultorio.
That year she also started work as a private psychologist and opened her practice.
Es una abogada de éxito y socia de un prestigioso bufete.
She is a successful lawyer and member of a prestigious practice.
LA PRÁCTICA HACE AL MAESTRO – PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Can you complete the following with the help of some of the words you’ve encountered above?
- Condenó ……………………………………………… de cobrar interés como “detestable a Dios y hombre”.
He condemned the practice of charging interest as “hateful to God and man”. - Está diseñada para prohibir ……………………………………………… percibidas como importantes contribuyentes a la corrupción política.
It’s designed to outlaw practices seen as major contributors to political corruption. - Es ……………………………………………… destinado a estudiantes de periodismo.
It’s a practical manual for students of journalism. - Abrió ……………………………………………… el 14 de junio de 1819.
He opened a medical practice on 14th June 1819. - Su objetivo es difundir ……………………………………………… para la reducción del desperdicio de alimentos.
Its objective is to spread best practices for reducing food waste. - Bárbara está luchando por ser socia de su ……………………………………………… de abogados.
Barbara is fighting to become a member of her legal practice. - Hizo ……………………………………………… en la productora El Terrat.
She did her internship orher placement at the production company El Terrat. - Ofrece ……………………………………………… sobre cómo gestionar un hogar.
It offers practical tips on how to manage a home. - Desde ………………………………………………, es más fácil mover un escultor que una escultura.
From a practical point of view, it’s easier to move a sculptor than a sculpture. - En Gotemburgo, estas ideas ……………………………………………… .
In Gothenburg these ideas were put into practice.
ANSWERS
- Condenó la práctica de cobrar interés como “detestable a Dios y hombre”.
He condemned the practice of charging interest as “hateful to God and man”. - Está diseñada para prohibir las prácticas percibidas como importantes contribuyentes a la corrupción política.
It’s designed to outlaw practices seen as major contributors to political corruption. - Es un manual práctico destinado a estudiantes de periodismo.
It’s a practical manual for students of journalism. - Abrió una consulta médica or un consultorio médico el 14 de junio de 1819.
He opened a medical practice on 14th June 1819. - Su objetivo es difundir las mejores prácticas para la reducción del desperdicio de alimentos.
Its objective is to spread best practices for reducing food waste. - Bárbara está luchando por ser socia de su bufete de abogados.
Barbara is fighting to become a member of her legal practice. - Hizo las prácticas en la productora El Terrat.
She did her internship orher placement at the production company El Terrat. - Ofrece consejos prácticos sobre cómo gestionar un hogar.
It offers practical tips on how to manage a home. - Desde un punto de vista práctico, es más fácil mover un escultor que una escultura.
From a practical point of view, it’s easier to move a sculptor than a sculpture. - En Gotemburgo, estas ideas se pusieron en práctica.
In Gothenburg these ideas were put into practice.
For more handy tips on Spanish words and their usage, come back next week.
