verb

atinar

hit upon · manage

Lograr hacer algo correctamente o acertar en lo que se intenta.

Atinar is a Spanish verb that has several related meanings centered around the idea of "hitting upon" or "succeeding in."

Meaning:

  1. To manage or succeed in doing something, often with some difficulty or precision.
    Example: Al fin atiné a encontrar la llave. (I finally managed to find the key.)

  2. To guess or hit on the right answer or idea.
    Example: No atiné con la respuesta correcta. (I didn’t guess the right answer.)

  3. To aim or direct something correctly, often used in the context of shooting or throwing.
    Example: Atinó al blanco con la flecha. (He/She hit the target with the arrow.)

Parts:

  • Comes from the verb "atinar," derived possibly from "tino" (judgment, sense).
  • Conjugated regularly in -ar form (e.g., atino, atinas, atinaba).

Synonyms:

  • Acertar (to get right, to hit)
  • Lograr (to achieve)
  • Conseguir (to obtain, to manage)
  • Dar en el blanco (to hit the target)

Antonyms (depending on context):

  • Fallar (to fail, to miss)
  • Errar (to err, to miss)
  • Equivocarse (to make a mistake)

Summary:
Atinar is about hitting the mark, whether literally or figuratively — succeeding, guessing correctly, or aiming right. It highlights success by effort or precision.

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Examples

No logramos atinar con la calle correcta anoche.verb

We couldn’t manage to hit upon the right street last night.

Aunque lo intentamos varias veces, no atinamos a encender el aparato viejo.verb

Although we tried several times, we did not manage to turn on the old device.

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