How to Say "shortcut" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “shortcut” is “atajo” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Conozco un atajo para llegar al centro en diez minutos.
I know a shortcut to get to the center in ten minutes.
No tomes ese atajo de noche; está muy oscuro.
Don't take that shortcut at night; it's very dark.
Buscamos un atajo en el proceso para ahorrar tiempo.
We are looking for a shortcut in the process to save time.
Gender Memory Aid
Even though it ends in 'o', remember it is masculine: 'el atajo'. Think of 'el camino' (the road) to help you remember.
Verbs to Use
In English you 'make' or 'take' a shortcut, but in Spanish, we almost always use 'tomar' (to take) or 'ir por' (to go via).
Don't use 'hacer'
Mistake: “Hice un atajo para llegar.”
Correction: Tomé un atajo para llegar. (We use 'take', not 'make', for paths).
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