Operation concept

• nubes de humo con forma de hongo — mushroom-shaped clouds of smoke

• dar forma a — [+ objeto, joya] to shape; [+ idea, teoría] to give shape to

• en forma de U — U-shaped

• tomar forma — to take shape

solo conozco una forma llegar hasta allí — I only know one way of getting there o one way to get there

• de forma directa/inmediata/natural — directly/immediately/naturally

• de esta forma — [gen] in this way; (=por consecuencia) thus

• de todas formas — anyway, in any case

él intentó contestar la pregunta de forma que no le comprometiese — he tried to answer the question so as o in such a way as not to commit himself

el número de socios fue creciendo cada año, de forma que en 1989 eran ya varios miles — the number of members grew every year, so that o such that by 1989 there were several thousand

• de tal forma que — (=en un modo que) in such a way that; (=tanto que) so much that; (=por eso) so that

la empresa ha crecido de tal forma que es irreconocible — the company has grown so much o to such an extent that it is unrecognizable

el jugador ha recuperado su forma física — the player is fit again, the player has regained fitness o form

• estar en (buena) forma — [para hacer deporte] to be fit, be in good shape; [para realizar otra actividad] to be in (good) form

estar en baja forma — (lit) to be not fully fit; (fig) to be in bad shape

• defecto de forma — (Jur) technicality

• guardar o mantener las formas — to keep up appearances

• la Sagrada Forma — the Host

• en forma, una fiesta en forma — a proper party, a blowout *

va a celebrar su cumpleaños en forma — he's going to have a proper o a serious * birthday party

nos aburrimos en forma — we were seriously bored *

dar forma a algo — ( al barro) to shape something; ( a proyecto) to give shape to something

en forma — (AmL fam)

una comida en forma — a good square meal (colloq)

nos divertimos en forma — (AmL fam) we had a really good time

de forma que — (frml) in such a way that

de cualquier forma or de todas formas — anyway, in any case

dar forma a algo — ( al barro) to shape something; ( a proyecto) to give shape to something

en forma — (AmL fam)

una comida en forma — a good square meal (colloq)

nos divertimos en forma — (AmL fam) we had a really good time

de forma que — (frml) in such a way that

de cualquier forma or de todas formas — anyway, in any case

Ex: During the last twenty years the variety of approaches to the organisation of knowledge has proliferated with the introduction of computer-based methods.

Ex: There is an increasing number of users familiar with the Macintosh, and Macintosh-like user interfaces, users who will be unfamiliar with the concept of command line operation of on-line services.

hacer balance — [de una cuenta] to draw up a balance; [de existencias] to take stock, do the stocktaking

los puntos negros en el balance del año académico — the black spots in the assessment o evaluation of the academic year

hizo balance de los cinco años de su gobierno — he assessed o evaluated o took stock of the five years of his government

un balance positivo/negativo — a positive/negative result o outcome

un balance positivo/negativo — a positive/negative result o outcome

Ex: The OECD publishes annual supply balance sheets for meat, dairy products and eggs, and food consumption statistics, for each of its twenty-four member states.

Ex: The census report clearly shows that the increase in foreign population is alarming, and that in time the preponderance in our city at least will be largerly in their favor.