Verbo Frasal: Turn Down (Volumen y Rechazo)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
'Turn down' means to lower the volume/intensity of something or to politely refuse an offer or invitation.
- Use it for volume or heat: 'Turn down the radio' (max 20 words)
- Use it for rejection: 'She turned down the job offer' (max 20 words)
- It is separable: 'Turn it down' is correct, 'Turn down it' is wrong (max 20 words)
Overview
turn down (baje) el volumen.turn down (rechazar) su invitación para tomar un café. Este phrasal verb es una herramienta de supervivencia para tu vida social y tus tímpanos. Tiene dos funciones principales: hacer que las cosas suenen menos o decir no a algo.refuse, podrías sonar como un villano victoriano. Turn down es mucho más relajado para la vida diaria.How This Grammar Works
turn y pegarle una palabra pequeña como down. Esto crea un phrasal verb. El significado cambia completamente.hacia abajo hacia el cero, girabas la perilla. Simple, ¿verdad?turn down también significa rechazar una oferta? Piénsalo así: cuando aceptas algo, lo subes o lo acoges.abajo y lejos de ti. Es una forma muy visual de hablar. Este phrasal verb es separable.turn down the music o turn the music down. Ambas son perfectas.it, debes ponerlo en el medio: turn it down. Decir turn down it suena como si tu cerebro hubiera tenido un error 404.Formation Pattern
turn down sigue un camino específico. Así es como la construyes:
turn. Recuerda cambiarlo según el tiempo verbal (ej. turned, turning, turns).
down.
down + [Sustantivo].
I turned down the job.
down.
I turned the job down.
down.
The music is loud. Turn it down.
turn down it. Hasta tu gato sabrá que está mal.
When To Use It
- Controles físicos: Cuando tu lista de Spotify está haciendo temblar las ventanas, o cuando la calefacción en tu Uber te hace sentir como un pollo asado.
- Ofertas sociales: Cuando un amigo te pide ir a una fiesta pero tú solo quieres ver Netflix.
turn down(rechazas) la invitación. - Situaciones profesionales: Cuando una empresa te ofrece un trabajo que te paga con
experienciaen lugar de dinero. Definitivamente vas aturn down(rechazar) esa oferta.
¿Quieres venir?, puedes responder: Lo siento, tengo que rechazarte (turn you down) esta noche. Estoy cansado.¿Podrías bajar eso (turn those down)? Suena mucho mejor que ¡Deja de hacer ruido!, aunque quizá sea un poco menos satisfactorio.
Common Mistakes
- La trampa del pronombre: Como mencionamos antes, nunca digas
turn down itoturn down him. Los pronombres son como los introvertidos; les encanta estar apretados en el medio del phrasal verb. - Confusión con
Turn off:Turn downsignifica menos.Turn offsignifica cero. Si le pides a alguien queturn downlas luces, las atenuará para un ambiente romántico. Si lasturns off, ahora estás sentado en la oscuridad, probablemente golpeándote el dedo del pie con una silla. - Confusión de preposiciones: A veces la gente intenta decir
turn to down. No hayto. Es soloturn+down. - Olvidar el tiempo verbal: Los phrasal verbs siguen las reglas de los verbos regulares. Si pasó ayer, es
turned down. Si está pasando ahora, estás bajándolo (turning it down). No dejes que eldownte distraiga de lo básico de la gramática.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
¿Cómo se compara turn down con otras frases?
Turn down vs. Refuse: Refuse es muy formal y fuerte. Si rechazas (refuse) un regalo, puede parecer grosero. Si haces turn down a un regalo, suena a que tienes una buena razón.Turn down vs. Reject: Reject se usa a menudo para cosas como solicitudes de tarjetas de crédito o experimentos científicos. Turn down es para personas y ofertas sociales. Tu crush te rechaza (turns you down) (triste); una máquina rechaza (rejects) tu moneda (molesto).Turn down vs. Lower: Puedes bajar (lower) la voz, pero normalmente bajas el volumen con turn down. Usa lower para altura física o niveles.Turn down vs. Turn up: Son opuestos. Si quieres más bajos, turn it up. Si quieres sobrevivir a la noche, turn it down.Quick FAQ
P: ¿Puedo usar turn down para una persona?
R: ¡Sí! Si le pides a alguien una cita y dice que no, te ha rechazado (turned you down). Duele, pero la gramática es correcta.
P: ¿Está bien usarlo en un email formal?
R: Totalmente.
I am writing to turn down the offeres una forma estándar y profesional de decir que no.
P: ¿turn down son siempre dos palabras?
R: Sí. En un argot muy específico, turndown (una sola palabra) se refiere a un servicio de hotel donde preparan tu cama, pero para la gramática que estamos aprendiendo, siempre son dos palabras.
P: ¿Puedo turn down el aire acondicionado?
R: Sí. Esto suele significar hacerlo menos frío (bajar la potencia) o bajar el ajuste de temperatura. ¡Ten cuidado, porque bajar la temperatura en realidad hace que la habitación esté más fría! Normalmente, la gente quiere decir
haz que el ventilador suene menos o tenga menos fuerza.
Conjugating 'Turn Down'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I / You / We / They
|
turn down
|
I turn down the heat.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He / She / It
|
turns down
|
She turns down the music.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
turned down
|
They turned down the offer.
|
|
Present Participle
|
All subjects
|
turning down
|
He is turning down the TV.
|
|
Past Participle
|
All subjects
|
turned down
|
The offer was turned down.
|
Contractions with Pronouns
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
I will turn it down
|
I'll turn it down
|
Future promise
|
|
Do not turn it down
|
Don't turn it down
|
Imperative/Command
|
|
He did not turn it down
|
He didn't turn it down
|
Past negative
|
Meanings
To reduce the amount of sound, heat, or light produced by a device, or to reject an offer, request, or application.
Volume/Intensity
To decrease the level of something (sound, heat, light).
“It's getting too hot in here; can you turn the heater down?”
“The lights were too bright, so he turned them down.”
Rejection/Refusal
To decline or refuse an offer, invitation, or proposal.
“He turned down the job because the salary was too low.”
“I had to turn down her invitation to the party.”
Folding (Rare/Specific)
To fold back the covers of a bed or the corner of a page.
“The hotel maid turned down the sheets while we were at dinner.”
“Don't turn down the corners of the book pages; use a bookmark.”
Reference Table
| Significado | Tipo de Objeto | Estructura 1 | Estructura 2 (si aplica) | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bajar Volumen
|
Sustantivo
|
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
|
Turn Down + Sustantivo
|
Turn the music down.
|
|
Bajar Volumen
|
Pronombre
|
Turn + Pronombre + Down
|
N/A
|
Turn it down.
|
|
Rechazar Oferta
|
Sustantivo
|
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
|
Turn Down + Sustantivo
|
Turn the offer down.
|
|
Rechazar Oferta
|
Pronombre
|
Turn + Pronombre + Down
|
N/A
|
Turn it down.
|
|
Rechazar Invitación
|
Sustantivo
|
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
|
Turn Down + Sustantivo
|
Turn the invitation down.
|
|
Rechazar Invitación
|
Pronombre
|
Turn + Pronombre + Down
|
N/A
|
Turn it down.
|
|
Rechazar a Alguien
|
Pronombre
|
Turn + Pronombre + Down
|
N/A
|
Turn him down.
|
Espectro de formalidad
I regret to inform you that I must decline the offer. (Professional)
I decided to turn down the job offer. (Professional)
I passed on the job. (Professional)
I swiped left on that gig. (Professional)
Turn Down: Dos Significados Clave
Significado 1: Disminuir
- Volumen Sound intensity
- Calor/Aire Acondicionado Temperature control
- Luces Brightness
- Brillo Screen intensity
Significado 2: Rechazar
- Oferta Job/deal proposal
- Invitación Social invite
- Solicitud Formal appeal
- Persona Refuse advances
Turn Down vs. Turn Up vs. Turn Off
Uso de 'Turn Down': Sustantivo vs. Pronombre
¿El objeto es un sustantivo (por ejemplo, 'the music', 'the offer')?
¿Es el objeto un pronombre (por ejemplo, 'it', 'them')?
Cosas Que Puedes 'Turn Down'
Volumen/Intensidad
- • La música
- • La TV
- • La calefacción
- • Las luces
- • El brillo
- • El aire acondicionado
Rechazos
- • Una oferta de trabajo
- • Una invitación
- • Una solicitud
- • Una propuesta
- • Una persona
- • Una idea
Ejemplos por nivel
Turn down the TV.
Baja el volumen de la tele.
Please turn it down.
Por favor, bájalo.
I turn down the radio.
Bajo la radio.
Can you turn down the music?
¿Puedes bajar la música?
I turned down the invitation.
Rechacé la invitación.
She didn't turn down the job.
Ella no rechazó el trabajo.
Turn the heater down, please.
Baja la calefacción, por favor.
Why did you turn it down?
¿Por qué lo rechazaste?
He had to turn down the offer because of the commute.
Tuvo que rechazar la oferta por el trayecto al trabajo.
If the music is too loud, just turn it down.
Si la música está muy alta, simplemente bájala.
The bank turned down my loan application.
El banco rechazó mi solicitud de préstamo.
I'm surprised she turned him down.
Me sorprende que ella lo rechazara.
The proposal was turned down by the board of directors.
La propuesta fue rechazada por la junta directiva.
I'm going to turn the volume down a notch.
Voy a bajar el volumen un poco.
They turned down our request for more time.
Rechazaron nuestra petición de más tiempo.
She turned down the chance to study abroad.
Ella rechazó la oportunidad de estudiar en el extranjero.
It is unwise to turn down such a lucrative opportunity.
No es prudente rechazar una oportunidad tan lucrativa.
The hotel provides a turn-down service every evening.
El hotel ofrece un servicio de cobertura todas las noches.
He turned down the intensity of his workout after the injury.
Redujo la intensidad de su entrenamiento tras la lesión.
The editor turned down the manuscript for being too derivative.
El editor rechazó el manuscrito por ser demasiado poco original.
The sheer volume of applications meant many had to be turned down.
El gran volumen de solicitudes significó que muchas tuvieron que ser rechazadas.
She flatly turned down any suggestion of a compromise.
Rechazó de plano cualquier sugerencia de compromiso.
The thermostat automatically turns down the heat at midnight.
El termostato baja automáticamente la calefacción a medianoche.
I couldn't possibly turn down a request from an old friend.
No podría rechazar una petición de un viejo amigo.
Fácil de confundir
Learners think 'turn down' means to stop the device entirely.
Learners use 'reject' for volume or in casual conversation where it sounds too harsh.
'Refuse' is often followed by an infinitive (to do), while 'turn down' is followed by a noun.
Errores comunes
Turn down it.
Turn it down.
Turn down the music off.
Turn down the music.
I turn down.
I turn it down.
Turn down the light off.
Turn down the light.
He turned down to the job.
He turned down the job.
I turned down her.
I turned her down.
Can you turn down the volume more quiet?
Can you turn down the volume?
The bank turned down to me.
The bank turned me down.
I turned down the offer because it was too loud.
I turned down the offer because the salary was low.
I'm turning down the radio off.
I'm turning the radio down.
The hotel turned down my bed sheets.
The hotel turned down the bed.
Patrones de oraciones
Could you please turn down the ___?
I had to turn down the ___ because ___.
If you don't turn that ___ down, I'm going to ___.
The ___ was turned down by ___.
Real World Usage
Hey, sorry I had to turn down your invite! I'm swamped.
Thank you for the offer, but I have decided to turn it down.
Could you turn the AC down? It's freezing in here.
I can't believe he turned down that collab!
My credit card application was turned down.
Can you turn your music down? I'm trying to sleep!
Recuerda la Regla del Pronombre
turn it down, nunca turn down it. ¡Es una regla de oro!No Confundir con 'Turn Off'
Turn down significa reducir la intensidad (volumen, luz). Turn off significa detener algo por completo (apagar la TV, apagar las luces). ¡Usar el incorrecto puede llevar a malentendidos!Sé Cortés con el Contexto
turn down para un rechazo es educado, tu tono importa. Por ejemplo, Can you please turn down the music?es más suave que un directo
Turn the music down!. Añadir 'please' o 'could you' hace maravillas.
Rechazo Implícito en Ofertas
turn down una oferta. Es una forma profesional de manejar varias oportunidades.Smart Tips
Think of the pronoun as a magnet that is attracted to the verb 'turn'. It must stick to it before 'down' can be added.
Use 'decided to' before 'turn down' to make the rejection sound like a thoughtful process rather than a snap judgment.
Use 'dim' as a synonym for 'turn down' to expand your vocabulary.
Listen for the stress. Usually, the singer will emphasize 'DOWN' to make the rhythm work.
Pronunciación
Stress on the Particle
In phrasal verbs like 'turn down', the stress usually falls on the particle ('down') rather than the verb, especially at the end of a sentence.
Linking
When 'turn' is followed by a pronoun starting with a vowel (like 'it'), the 'n' in 'turn' links to the 'i'.
Rising-Falling on 'Down'
Can you turn it ⤴down⤵?
A polite request.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Think of a thumb pointing DOWN: you are lowering the sound or saying 'No' (thumbs down) to an offer.
Asociación visual
Imagine a giant volume knob on a stereo. You turn it to the left (down) to make it quiet. Now imagine that same knob on a 'Job Offer'—you turn it down to say no.
Rhyme
When the music's a frown, turn it down. When the job's not for you, turn it down too!
Story
Little Timmy had a loud drum. His mom said, 'Turn it down!' Timmy was sad, so he offered his mom a cookie. His mom was on a diet, so she had to turn down the cookie. Timmy then turned down the covers on his bed and went to sleep.
Word Web
Desafío
Go to your kitchen or living room. Find three things with a volume or heat setting. Say out loud: 'I am turning down the [object].' Then, think of one thing you said 'no' to this week and say: 'I turned down the [thing].'
Notas culturales
British speakers often use 'turn down' with 'a bit' to sound more polite and less demanding. 'Could you turn it down a bit?'
In the US, 'turn down' is very common in business. Turning down an offer is seen as a standard part of negotiation.
The 'turn-down service' is a specific luxury hotel tradition where staff prepare the bed for sleep.
The verb 'turn' comes from the Old French 'torner', meaning to rotate. 'Down' indicates the direction of the rotation on early mechanical dials.
Inicios de conversación
Have you ever turned down a job offer? Why?
What do you do when your neighbors' music is too loud?
If someone turned you down for a date, how would you feel?
Can you think of a time you turned down a great opportunity?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
The music is too loud, can you ___?
Find and fix the mistake:
She decided to turn down it, even though it was a good offer.
Elige la oración correcta:
Translate into English: 'Eu tive que recusar a oferta de emprego.'
Answer starts with: ["I...
Score: /4
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesThe music is too loud. Please ___ it ___.
Select the correct option:
Find and fix the mistake:
He turned down to the job offer.
She rejected the invitation.
1. Radio is loud, 2. Job offer is bad, 3. Room is cold
A: Did you get the job? B: Yes, but I ___.
'Turn down the volume' vs 'Turn down it'
down / turned / she / him
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe barista asked if I wanted to ___ the music in the cafe.
My boss asked me to turn down him politely.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Você pode abaixar o volume do jogo?'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the beginnings with their correct endings:
My phone battery was low, so I had to ___ the screen brightness.
They couldn't accept the invitation, so they turn it down.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'É importante recusar as distrações para se concentrar.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the actions with their objects:
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
No, you cannot. When the object is a pronoun like `it`, `them`, `him`, or `her`, it must go between `turn` and `down`. Always say `turn it down`.
Yes, it is a neutral and polite way to refuse something. However, adding 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm afraid' makes it even more polite in social situations.
`Turn down` means to lower the level (like volume 5 to volume 2). `Turn off` means to stop the device completely (volume 0).
Yes, but it means you are rejecting their romantic interest or their request/offer. It doesn't mean you are physically lowering them!
Absolutely. It is the standard way to describe declining a job offer, a contract proposal, or a business request.
Yes. You can `turn down the heater` or `turn down the oven` if it is too hot.
It is a luxury service where hotel staff enter your room in the evening to fold back the bed covers and prepare the room for sleep.
It is neutral. It is perfectly acceptable in both a casual conversation with a friend and a formal email to a recruiter.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Bajar / Rechazar
Spanish lacks the 'verb + particle' structure.
Baisser / Refuser
French verbs are not separable like English phrasal verbs.
Leiser machen / Ablehnen
The prefix goes to the very end of the sentence in German.
Sageru (下げ) / Kotowaru (断る)
Japanese relies on particles like 'o' and 'ni' rather than phrasal particles like 'down'.
خفض (khafada) / رفض (rafada)
Arabic verbs conjugate internally and do not use separate particles for these meanings.
Tiáo dī (调低) / Jùjué (拒绝)
Chinese uses resultative verb compounds rather than phrasal verbs.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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