pauta
nounCEFR B2
What does “pauta” mean in English?
guideline, pattern — an official recommendation or behavioural norm
guideline, pattern — an official recommendation or behavioural norm (seguir las pautas; marcar la pauta)
Example sentences
El ministerio publicó nuevas pautas para la gestión de residuos en municipios de menos de diez mil habitantes.
The ministry published new guidelines for waste management in municipalities of under ten thousand inhabitants.
Esta empresa siempre ha marcado la pauta en materia de sostenibilidad empresarial.
This company has always set the standard in corporate sustainability.
Las pautas de consumo han cambiado radicalmente desde la generalización del comercio electrónico.
Consumption patterns have changed radically since the widespread adoption of e-commerce.
How to use it
La pauta (noun, feminine) means 'guideline', 'pattern', or 'standard'. Unlike norma (a binding rule) or ley (law), pauta implies a recommended model or behavioural template. Key collocations: marcar la pauta (to set the standard), seguir las pautas (to follow the guidelines), pautas de conducta/comportamiento, pautas alimentarias/nutricionales. The plural pautas is standard in official documents. Marcar la pauta is a very frequent idiom meaning 'to set the trend or standard'.
Common mistake
Pauta is softer than norma (which implies obligation) and very different from ley (law). 'Follow the guidelines' = seguir las pautas (not *seguir las guías — guía is more of a guide/person). Pautas musicales (musical stave/staff) is a separate technical meaning. The idiom marcar la pauta should be learnt as a fixed phrase.