Overdraw

[JPablo]

Per Cambridge Klett, overdraw = girar en descubierto

Per Oxford Superlex,
overdraw (past -drew; past p -drawn) vt
1 (Fin): I’m overdrawn = tengo un descubierto, estoy sobregirado; customers who overdraw their accounts = los clientes que giran al descubierto or que sobregiran su cuenta
2 (exaggerate) (usu pass) ‹ description › recargar*
overdraw vi (BrE Fin) girar al descubierto, sobregirarse

My question here has to do with Spanish common usage.
I heard "tengo un descubierto" or "un saldo en descubierto" "un saldo descubierto".

What is more common?
(Particularly in Spain, although I am interested too on the most common expression in Argentina, Chile, Mexico... Perú, Cuba, Bolívia... huh, etcétera)

If I say,
Retuvo un depósito durante veinte minutos para que uno de sus clientes no se sobregirara (no dejara un saldo en descubierto) (no dejara un saldo en números rojos).

Do you think that the parenthetical note (one of the two) is needed?
Or it is simply clearly understood in Spanish without the clarification?
Your input on this will be greatly appreciated.

[irmamar]

It is common to say "descubierto" or "números rojos". More formal would be "saldo descubierto", "descubierto bancario" or "saldo deudor". I hope you're not in that situation.

[JPablo]

Thank you, Irma...

Answering your question,
Oh, no, I have surplus (superavit) for now (we'll see how it is during "la cuesta de Enero" - "January shortages") after the Christmas "spree"...

[irmamar]

If you want, I can save your money. I'll let you know if there is some overdraft.

(So I guess, overdraw - verb, overdraft - noun).

[JPablo]

Yeah, right... I was thinking about that...
Are you starting the Irmamaresto bank?
Or La Irmaixa?
(No offense intended!)
Yes, "overdraft" noun, saldo deudor, descubierto.
"overdraw" verb, girar en descubierto... sobrgirarse... írsele a uno/-a la mano con la tarjeta de crédito... de Banco Español del Cerdito... digo, de Crédito...

[irmamar]

No, I'm not a good economist.

Thanks, that's good to know.

[JPablo]

Okay, the basic principle of economy,
"Income must be greater than outgo".
(If you know and follow this basic principle you are better off than Lord Keynes, by faaaaaar.)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by JPablo

What is more common?
(Particularly in Spain, although I am interested too on the most common expression in Argentina, Chile, Mexico... Perú, Cuba, Bolívia... huh, etcétera)

If I say,
Retuvo un depósito durante veinte minutos para que uno de sus clientes no se sobregirara (no dejara un saldo en descubierto) (no dejara un saldo en números rojos).

Do you think that the parenthetical note (one of the two) is needed?
Or it is simply clearly understood in Spanish without the clarification?
Your input on this will be greatly appreciated.

In Mexico we wouldn't understand "descubierto". We always use "sobregiro"/"sobregirar".

"...para que el cliente no se sobregirara" would be the most common and clearest sentence used around here.

A bank employee could tell you something like: "Señor, tiene un sobregiro de 1000 pesos", for example.

And some gossip among friends might be: "María tiene todas sus tarjetas de crédito sobregiradas"/"...tiene sobregiro en todas sus tarjetas".


As for "números rojos", that is almost exclusively used for business.

- La empresa estuvo trabajando en números rojos durante muchos meses.
- El contador renunció porque no puede ocultar más los números rojos de la compañía.

[JPablo]

¡Gracias, Malila!

[chileno]

En Chile es "estar sobregirado" o familiarmente "estoy en rojo"

[JPablo]

Gracias, Chileno.