Spanish verbs that are not in English.

Question

How about a list of Spanish verbs that do not exist in English,

Examples:

Nacer - to be born. Suicidarse - to commit suicide.

Any more?

• That's hard! I can't think of any right now, but will be interested in what other people post. - jtt96 Mar 16, 2011
• wow! look at all these answers!!! - jtt96 Mar 17, 2011
• My e-mail box was so full of alerts to this thread I thought for a moment that i was getting spamed. - jtt96 Mar 17, 2011

Answer 1

Maquillarse = to put on make up

Acostumbrarse = to get used

Probarse = to try on

• Cogu: maquillarse: to *put on* make up :) - Deanski Mar 17, 2011
• "to put make-up on" - chicasabrosa Mar 17, 2011
• In England we would say to put on make up as we do not like to use split infinitives - FELIZ77 Mar 17, 2011
• Gracias Deans, Chica and Feliz! :) - cogumela Mar 18, 2011
• That's not splitting an infinitive,that's the difference between a seprable and inseprable phrasal verb.There are many in both British and American English.Put on is officially seprable acording to the OED.In general whenever you can seperate you should. - rabbitwho Mar 21, 2011
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Answer 2

Trasnochar = to stay up late

Madrugar = to get up early

• m - nike907 Mar 16, 2011
• My Colombian friend uses 'Madrugar' in normal conversation. - nike907 Mar 16, 2011
• Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda. - LuisCacheux Mar 17, 2011
• No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano. - LuisCacheux Mar 17, 2011
• Colombians use trasnochar all the time too, is it not more literal, i.e. go through the night, rather than stay up late? - afowen Mar 17, 2011

Answer 3

enamorarse = to fall in love

• isn't this the same as the English word "enamor" or "enamored"? - Gillygaloo Apr 6, 2011

Answer 4

Soler - to be used to, to usually ...

• I can't find the meaning of "to be used to" connected with soler in the dictionary :( - rabbitwho Mar 21, 2011
• Ej:"Cuando era pequeño,solía pasear con mi madre por el parque". - lukaaxx Mar 21, 2011
• "Al Capone dijo en cierta ocasión : No suelo perder el tiempo pagando impuestos" - lukaaxx Mar 21, 2011
• "We used to go the beach every year"="Solìamos ir todos los años a la playa" - lukaaxx Mar 21, 2011

Answer 5

Tutear: to address informally (as "tú")

Answer 6

Abalizar- To mark with buoys

Desdecir- to fall short of, to not live up to, to be unworthy

Desinflamar- to reduce swelling or inflammation

Enloquecer- to drive crazy or mad

Entreabrir- to open halfway

Jacarear- to roam the streets at night making merry

Jarapotear- to stuff with drugs/medicine

Quimerizar- to have fanciful ideas

Teleguiar/ Teledirigir- to operate by remote control

Veranear- to spend the summer

Zozobrar- to be shiprecked

• That deserves a vote - or two - :) - ian-hill Apr 4, 2011
• Nice work! - pesta Apr 4, 2011

Answer 7

aprovechar = to make the most of

• often used as "to take advantage of" as well... "si el momento se dio, aprovechalo" - "if the moment is given, take advantage of it." =) - DJ_Huero Mar 17, 2011

Answer 8

Regalar - to give a gift, give something away for free

• English does have "gift" as a verb, though. - Luciente Mar 17, 2011
• Regale... - afowen Mar 17, 2011

Answer 9

Amanecer - To dawn - Used interchangably with Madrugar

• also used in this sense "¿cómo ameneciste? = how was your sleep? - Deanski Mar 17, 2011

Answer 10

cabrahigar--If I ever perform this action and need to describe it in English, I'll just use the Spanish word.

• me too :) - ian-hill Mar 17, 2011
• why?? what is it? something naughty ??? - peoplesCHAMP Apr 4, 2011

Answer 11

desayunar

intransitive verb

to have breakfast

desayunarse

pronomial verb also:

to have for breakfast

Se desayunaron con café y tostadas -> they had coffee and toast for breakfast

• Vote but "to breakfast" and "to lunch" have crept into the English language though. - ian-hill Mar 17, 2011
• Thanks for the information. - LuisCacheux Mar 17, 2011
• Crept in? Break-fast. Break is a verb, to breakfast - always normal. To dine, to lunch - fine. To elevense would be odd though... - afowen Mar 17, 2011
• @ I don't agree - what you say is true but "to breakfast" as in "I am breakfasting" is kind of new. - ian-hill Mar 18, 2011
• We always had "to dine" (dinner) for example but "to lunch / breakfast" are quite new in normal conversation. - ian-hill Mar 18, 2011
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Answer 12

desvelar = to keep awake

Answer 13

Recoger = to pick up

• Isn't that a noun? - jtt96 Mar 17, 2011
• Oops, I wasn't paying attention. - Leatha Mar 17, 2011
• It's ok. Recoger is a verb. - LuisCacheux Mar 17, 2011
• Hija, recoge tus juguetes. - LuisCacheux Mar 17, 2011

Answer 14

madrear = "to kick somebody´s butt"

Answer 15

Perrear - the word used to define the way people dance reggeton, in which a boy and a girl are face to face or the boy behind the girl and they dance at the same time, really close together.

Sandunguear - to party hard

Chambonear - to wind it up, usually the context of dancing/partying to caribbean rhythms like reggaeton, merengue, mambo, and bachateo.

• Perrear - to dog - that exists in English... - afowen Mar 17, 2011
• True; technically, "perreando" would be "dogging", even if the meanings are different. - 002067fe Apr 3, 2011