How to Get Help & Info After a Train Crash

Key vocabulary

• chocarv.

  to crash, collide

  “Dos trenes de alta velocidad chocaron cerca de Urda.”— Two high-speed trains crashed near Urda.

  Pattern chocar con/contra to collide with

  Compare colisionar to collide

  Indicative Past: choqué, chocaste, chocó, chocamos, chocasteis, chocaron

  💡 Onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sound of a collision; note that ch in Spanish is pronounced /tʃ/.

• embestirv.

  to strike, ram

  “Un tren de Renfe embistió a otro de Iryo.”— A Renfe train struck another Iryo train.

  Pattern embestir a/contra to charge at

  Compare golpear to hit

  Indicative Past: embestí, embestiste, embistió, embestimos, embestisteis, embistieron

  💡 Often used to describe vehicles or animals charging; e→i vowel change.

• víctimaf.

  victim, casualty

  “Renfe activó el Plan de Asistencia a las Víctimas.”— Renfe activated the Victim Assistance Plan.

  Pattern atención a las víctimas victim assistance

  Compare afectado affected person

  Plural: víctimas

  💡 From Latin victima, originally meaning a sacrificial victim.

• habilitarv.

  to enable, set up

  “La empresa habilitó el teléfono gratuito 900 10 10 20.”— The company set up the free phone line 900 10 10 20.

  Pattern habilitar un teléfono to set up a phone line

  Compare activar to activate

  Indicative Past: habilité, habilitaste, habilitó, habilitamos, habilitasteis, habilitaron

  💡 Root hábil (capable), extended to mean 'to make available'.

• gratuitoadj.

  free of charge

  “El Servicio de Emergencias habilitó otro teléfono gratuito.”— The Emergency Service set up another free phone line.

  Pattern teléfono gratuito toll-free phone

  Compare gratis free

  Feminine gratuita, plural gratuitos/gratuitas

  💡 Note the difference from gratis: gratuito is an adjective, gratis is usually an adverb.

• suspenderv.

  to suspend, halt

  “Las operadoras suspendieron la circulación entre Madrid y Andalucía.”— The operators suspended service between Madrid and Andalusia.

  Pattern suspender la circulación to suspend service

  Compare interrumpir to interrupt

  Indicative Past: suspendí, suspendiste, suspendió, suspendimos, suspendisteis, suspendieron

  💡 Root pend- (to hang), sus- (above), originally 'to hang up', extended to mean to suspend.

• afectadom./adj.

  affected person; affected

  “Adif abrirá puntos de atención a los afectados.”— Adif will open assistance points for those affected.

  Pattern los afectados por el accidente those affected by the accident

  Compare damnificado victim

  Feminine afectada, plural afectados/afectadas

  💡 From afectar (to affect), -ado suffix indicates passive.

• llamamientom.

  call, appeal

  “El Gobierno hizo un llamamiento urgente para donar sangre.”— The Government made an urgent call to donate blood.

  Pattern hacer un llamamiento to make an appeal

  Compare petición request

  Plural: llamamientos

  💡 From llamar (to call), -miento suffix forms a noun.

• donarv.

  to donate

  “Se necesita donar sangre de todos los grupos.”— Blood donation is needed from all blood types.

  Pattern donar sangre to donate blood

  Compare entregar to hand over

  Indicative Past: doné, donaste, donó, donamos, donasteis, donaron

  💡 From Latin donare (to give), related word donación (donation).

• desaparecidom./adj.

  missing person; missing

  “Los familiares pueden identificar a los desaparecidos.”— Family members can identify the missing persons.

  Pattern identificar a los desaparecidos to identify the missing

  Compare perdido lost

  Feminine desaparecida, plural desaparecidos/desaparecidas

  💡 From desaparecer (to disappear), -ido indicates passive result.

Grammar spotlight

Sentence patterns to steal

• Renfe señaló que su prioridad absoluta es atender a las víctimas y evaluar el alcance de los daños personales.

  Renfe pointed out that its absolute priority is to care for the victims and assess the extent of personal injuries.

  Señalar que + clause (to point out that...)señalar can be replaced by indicar or informar; the clause content can be replaced with other priorities.

• Por eso, recomiendan a quienes tengan un billete para ese trayecto que no acudan hoy a las estaciones a gestionarlo.

  Therefore, they recommend that those who have a ticket for that route not go to the stations today to handle it.

  Recomendar a alguien que + subjunctive (to recommend that someone do something)recomendar can be replaced by aconsejar or sugerir; the recommendation content can be replaced.

• La delegada del Gobierno en Andalucía recomienda usar los canales oficiales de @Inforenfe y @InfoAdif para obtener información.

  The Government Delegate in Andalusia recommends using the official channels @Inforenfe and @InfoAdif to obtain information.

  Recomendar usar + noun + para + infinitive (to recommend using... in order to...)The noun after usar can be replaced with other tools or channels; the purpose after para can be replaced.

• El Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha hizo un llamamiento urgente para donar sangre de todos los grupos.

  The Government of Castilla-La Mancha made an urgent appeal to donate blood of all types.

  Hacer un llamamiento para + infinitive (to call for... / to appeal to...)llamamiento can be replaced by petición; the infinitive content can be replaced with other actions.