Inklingo

pauta

POW-tahˈpaw.ta

guideline

Also: pattern, standard
NounfB1
Latin America
A hiker following a well-marked wooden signpost on a forest trail.

📝 In Action

El médico me dio una pauta para tomar la medicina.

A2

The doctor gave me a guideline for taking the medicine.

Las pautas de comportamiento han cambiado mucho en esta década.

B2

Behavioral patterns have changed a lot in this decade.

Esta empresa siempre marca la pauta en el sector tecnológico.

C1

This company always sets the standard in the tech sector.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • marcar la pautato set the tone or standard
  • pautas de conductabehavioral patterns
  • pauta publicitariaadvertising slot or schedule

Idioms & Expressions

  • marcar la pautaTo be the leader or the example that others follow.

staff

Also: ruled lines
NounfC1
Five parallel horizontal black lines on a clean white background.

📝 In Action

El músico escribió las notas sobre la pauta.

B2

The musician wrote the notes on the staff.

Si no usas una pauta, vas a escribir torcido.

B1

If you don't use ruled lines, you are going to write crookedly.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pentagrama (musical staff)
  • rayado (ruling/lines)

Common Collocations

  • papel de pautaruled paper

to set guidelines

Also: to rule
VerbB2regular arformal
A person laying out bright orange cones in a straight line on a field.
gerundpautando
past Participlepautado
infinitivepautar

📝 In Action

El director pauta las tareas de cada empleado.

B2

The director sets the guidelines for each employee's tasks.

El artesano pauta el cuero antes de cortarlo.

C1

The craftsman marks lines on the leather before cutting it.

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yopautara
pautaras
él/ella/ustedpautara
nosotrospautáramos
vosotrospautarais
ellos/ellas/ustedespautaran

Present Subjunctive

yopaute
pautes
él/ella/ustedpaute
nosotrospautemos
vosotrospautéis
ellos/ellas/ustedespauten

Indicative

Preterite

yopauté
pautaste
él/ella/ustedpautó
nosotrospautamos
vosotrospautasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedespautaron

Imperfect

yopautaba
pautabas
él/ella/ustedpautaba
nosotrospautábamos
vosotrospautabais
ellos/ellas/ustedespautaban

Present

yopauto
pautas
él/ella/ustedpauta
nosotrospautamos
vosotrospautáis
ellos/ellas/ustedespautan

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pauta

Question 1 of 3

What does 'marcar la pauta' mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
pautar(to set guidelines)Verb
pautado(ruled or regulated)Adjective
pautador(someone who sets rules)Noun
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Latin 'pacta', the plural of 'pactum' (agreement or contract). Over time, it evolved from meaning an agreement to meaning the rules or 'lines' that define that agreement.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: pact

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pauta' the same as 'regla'?

Not exactly. A 'regla' is a strict rule or law. A 'pauta' is more like a guideline, pattern, or model to follow.

How do you say 'advertising buy' in Spanish?

In many Latin American countries, it is called a 'pauta publicitaria'.

Can 'pauta' be a verb?

Yes, 'pauta' is the third-person singular (he/she) form of the verb 'pautar', which means 'to set guidelines'.