Delay vs Hold up vs Postpone vs Suspend

Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.

Delay

Top 1000 (muy común)B2noun

Hold up

InformalTop 2000 (común)

Postpone

Top 2000 (común)C1verb

Suspend

Top 2000 (común)B2verb
Más común: Delay
 DelayHold upPostponeSuspend
Pronunciación🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈleɪ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈleɪ/"]/🇬🇧 //həʊld ʌp//🇺🇸 //hoʊld ʌp//🇬🇧 //pəʊstˈpəʊn//🇺🇸 //poʊstˈpoʊn//🇬🇧 /["/səˈspend/","/səˈspendz/","/səˈspendɪd/","/səˈspendɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səˈspend/","/səˈspendz/","/səˈspendɪd/","/səˈspendɪŋ/"]/
SignificadoHacer que algo suceda más tarde de lo planeado.To make something happen later than planned.Detener o retrasar algo.To stop or delay something.Retrasar algo para un momento posterior.To delay something to a later time.Detener algo temporalmente.To temporarily stop something.
EjemploDue to the heavy traffic, there was a significant delay in our arrival time.Can you hold up for a moment?We had to postpone the meeting due to bad weather.The school decided to suspend the student for three days due to his disruptive behavior.
RegistroNeutralInformalNeutralNeutral
Qué tan comúnTop 1000 (muy común)Top 2000 (común)Top 2000 (común)Top 2000 (común)
Nivel CEFRB2-C1B2
Categoría gramaticalnounverbverb
Colocacionesconsiderable, enormous, lengthy, series, be subject to, be plagued by, encounter, occur, without delay, delay in, delay of, considerable, enormous, lengthy, series, be subject to, be plagued by, encounter, occur, without delay, delay in, delay ofhold up a sign, hold up traffic, hold up someonepostpone a meeting, postpone a decision, postpone an eventimmediately, indefinitely, temporarily, agree to, decide to, vote to, the power to suspend something, immediately, indefinitely, temporarily, agree to, decide to, vote to, the power to suspend something, automatically, formally, indefinitely, threaten to, for, from, pending, be suspended on full pay, be suspended with pay, be suspended without pay
Antónimosadvance, hasten, expeditespeed up, continueadvance, accelerate, hastencontinue, resume, proceed
Errores comunesConfusing 'delay' with 'defer' — 'defer' is often more formal., Using 'delayed' incorrectly in tense — check verb forms for accuracy., Overusing 'delay' in casual speech when simpler options like 'wait' are available.Confused with 'hold back' which means to restrain., Incorrectly using it as 'held up by' instead of 'held up due to'.Confusing with 'cancel' means to stop something completely., Using 'postponed' as a synonym for 'rescheduled' incorrectly.Confused with 'suspense' — they are different terms., Using 'suspend' without an object, as it typically needs one., Mixing up the past tense form - 'suspended' instead of 'suspend' in the present.
Notas de usoUsa 'retraso' cuando te refieres a posponer eventos o acciones. Es apropiado en contextos formales e informales, pero evita usarlo en conversaciones muy casuales donde palabras más simples como 'esperar' podrían ser suficientes.Use 'delay' when referring to postponing events or actions. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid using it in very casual conversations where simpler words like 'wait' might suffice.Se usa en conversaciones informales; puede ser apropiado para situaciones que implican retrasos o interrupciones. Evitar en escritura formal.Used in casual conversation; can be appropriate for situations involving delays or interruptions. Avoid in formal writing.Usa 'posponer' en contextos formales y neutros. Evita en conversaciones informales donde términos más simples como 'retrasar' podrían ser más apropiados.Use 'postpone' in formal and neutral contexts. Avoid in casual conversations where simpler terms like 'delay' might be more appropriate.Usa 'suspender' en contextos formales, como en reuniones o situaciones legales. Evita usarlo en conversaciones casuales a menos que estés bromeando.Use 'suspend' in formal contexts, like in meetings or legal situations. Avoid using it in casual conversations unless you're joking.

Míralo en clips reales

Delay
Hold up

Preguntas frecuentes: Delay vs Hold up vs Postpone vs Suspend

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Delay, Hold up, Postpone y Suspend?

Delay: To make something happen later than planned. Hold up: To stop or delay something. Postpone: To delay something to a later time. Suspend: To temporarily stop something.

¿Cuál es más común: Delay, Hold up, Postpone y Suspend?

Delay es la más común en el inglés cotidiano.

¿Cuál es más avanzada: Delay, Hold up, Postpone y Suspend?

Postpone es la de nivel más alto, en C1, en la escala CEFR.

¿Puedes mostrar un ejemplo de cada una?

Delay: Due to the heavy traffic, there was a significant delay in our arrival time. Hold up: Can you hold up for a moment? Postpone: We had to postpone the meeting due to bad weather. Suspend: The school decided to suspend the student for three days due to his disruptive behavior.

¿Puedo usar Delay, Hold up, Postpone y Suspend indistintamente?

No siempre. Delay, Hold up, Postpone y Suspend están relacionadas y a veces se solapan, pero difieren en registro, frecuencia y uso, así que cambiar una por otra puede alterar el significado o el tono. Revisa las diferencias de arriba antes de sustituir.

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