Deadline and Replacement / Plazo y reemplazo .- 5 minutes of Spanish + Podcast (English version)

 Hi! How are you?

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you’re listening.

Welcome to podcast 281. Thanks for joining us. So, what’s today’s topic?

Today we’re going to look at two words that sound very similar: “plazo” and “reemplazo.”

Are they related in any way?

They have something in common, but their meanings are different. Let’s start with “plazo.”

What does “plazo” mean?

A “plazo” is a period of time we have to do something. In English, we can translate it as “deadline” when referring to a specific date, or as “time period” when referring to a general span of time.

So, if I have to turn in an assignment on Friday, I have until Friday to do it.
Exactly. For example: “The deadline for turning in the assignment is Friday.”

And can I say “I have a one-week deadline”?

Yes. “I have a one-week deadline to finish the project.”Sí. “Tengo un plazo de una semana para terminar el proyecto”.

¿Y “fecha límite” es lo mismo que “plazo”?
And is “deadline” the same as “time frame”?

—They’re very similar, but not exactly the same. The time frame is the period of time. The deadline is the last day or moment to do something.
So: “The time frame is one week, and the deadline is Friday.”

Perfect!
And can we use “time frame” in everyday situations?¿Y podemos usar plazo en situaciones de la vida cotidiana?

In many, many situations. For example: “What’s the time frame for paying the bill?” “The bank gave me a thirty-day time frame.” “I need more time—can I ask for an extension of the time frame?”

Extensión del plazo… extension of the deadline

Yes. And there are two very common expressions: “in the short term” and “in the long term.”

What do they mean?

“In the short term” means in the near future. “In the long term” means looking toward the more distant future. For example: “In the short term, I want to improve my Spanish, and in the long term, I want to speak it fluently.”

That’s a great example!

And where does the word “plazo” come from? It comes from the Latin “placitum,” which is related to the idea of something agreed upon or established. Over time, the meaning of a set period of time for doing something developed in Spanish.
Very interesting. And now let’s move on to “reemplazo.”
Sí. Esta palabra es muy útil. Reemplazar significa poner una persona o una cosa en el lugar de otra. Yes. This word is very useful. To replace means to put a person or thing in the place of another.

En inglés sería to replace. 

Exactly. “We need to replace the old computer.”

“The teacher is sick, and another teacher is going to replace him.”
So “replace” can refer to the act of replacing something, or to the person or thing that takes its place.
And does “replace” have a specific structure?
We usually say “replace something” or “replace someone.” For example: “I’m going to replace the battery.” “The company replaced the manager.”

Why do we say “the manager” and not simply “the manager”?
That’s a great question. Because when the direct object is a specific person, we usually use the preposition “to”: “replace the manager,” “replace María,” “replace the teacher.”
But if it’s a thing: “replace the battery.”

Of course. Person: “a.” Thing: usually without “a.”

And can “replacement” be a noun?

Yes. “The teacher’s replacement will be tomorrow.” Here, “replacement” is a noun.
And we also have the verb “replace.”

Yes. Verb: “reemplazar.” Noun: “reemplazo.”

—And is there another related word?

—Yes: “reemplazable.” Something that can be replaced.

—For example: “This part is replaceable.”

—Absolutely. And the opposite would be “irremplazable”: something that cannot be easily replaced.
—Like a very special person.
—Yes. You can say, “He or she is an irreplaceable person.”
—So we have “replace,” “replacement,” “replaceable,” and “irreplaceable.”

—Exactly. And notice something interesting: many words in Spanish are formed by adding prefixes and suffixes.
—Like “re-” in “replace.”
Yes. The prefix “re-” appears in many words and can have different meanings. In “replace,” it means to put something back in another place or to put something in place of something else.
Como rehacer: to do again.
—Exactly. To redo, repeat, rebuild, replace…

—So today we have two very useful words: “plazo” and “reemplazo.”

—Yes. One helps us talk about time, and the other about replacing a person or a thing.

Plazo: deadline o time period.

—Reemplazo: replacement. Y reemplazar: to replace

And we can wrap up with two phrases.
—Sure. “I have a month to finish the course.”
—And: “If the teacher can’t come, there will be a substitute.”
—Perfect. Two more words for your everyday Spanish.

Thanks for sticking with us this far and not replacing us with another podcast.

See you soon.
Bye, bye.