Pintarse: Metaphor?

Question

Hola todos:

Mientras estaba leyendo, ví esta frase que usó la palabra <<pintarse>> así <<En su cara se pintaba una sonrisa grande>> Ya entiendo la que significa esta frase pero quiero saber si esta palabra (pintarse) está ser usado como una metáfora aquí o si normalmente se usa así

Les agradezco a todos los respondientes

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Hello everybody,

While I was reading, I saw this sentence that used the word "pintarse" like this: En su cara se pintaba una sonrisa grande (He had a big smile on his face). I know what the sentence means, buy I want to know if this word (pintarse) is being used like a metaphor here or if it is normally used like this.

Thanks

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Answer 1

Nice question Izan!

I have seen 'pintar o pintarse' used often for metaphorical meanings. In fact, take a look at the definition for depict, which is used mostly in a figurative way, and you'll see that 'Pintar' is one of the synonyms.

Thanks Chaparrito...that was very helpful - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009

Que buena respuesta Chaparrito...Ciertamente su uso no es en el lenguaje común... - Carlos-F, NOV 6, 2009

Gracias Carlos - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009

Answer 2

Painting a smile on one's own face is obviously both metaphorical and reflexive.

Answer 3

Never mind: question edited.

That use of paint (put on makeup, war paint, a look of envy) is used in English so I don't see why it would be unusual in Spanish.

pintar. (Del lat. *pict?re, de pictus, con la n, de ping?re).

1. prnl. Darse colores en el rostro, maquillarse.

paint??/pe?nt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [peynt] Show IPA

1. facial cosmetics, esp. lipstick, rouge, etc., designed to heighten natural color.

2. to put on or use facial cosmetics.

Sorry about the confusion...I went back in to edit and it reformatted my quotes so that they disappeared - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009

When you paint a look on your face isn't that often depicted as putting on a mask, that it doesn't represent your true feelings. You're feigning a look of happiness while truly sad., etc. - 0074b507, NOV 6, 2009

In the context that it was taken from, it did not appear to be used in this way...It was more like "his face lit up each time he talked about the voyage they were going to take" - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009

Answer 4

That use of paint (put on makeup, war paint, a look of envy) is used in English so I don't see why it would be unusual in Spanish.

Thanks Quintin. I wasn't trying to imply that this might be an unusual usage/metaphor. I was just trying to get a better idea of the subtle effect that the author may have been trying to imply by using that construct rather than by saying it in a more direct way, such as "he was smiling"

See my comment above about feigning a look. - 0074b507, NOV 6, 2009

Thanks Q - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009

Answer 5

Painting a smile on one's own face is obviously both metaphorical and reflexive.

Thanks Malenor,

I think that maybe I should have made this clearer, though. I understand that painting a smile on your face would be a metaphor in English. My question is that would one normally use this type of construct to say something like "He put a smile on his face/He wore a smile on his face," or should it be taken more poetically as "His face was painted with a smile/His face was done up (as with make-up) in a smile"

Answer 6

The idiom "pintar la cara" means to dominate or destroy in sports.

That's an interesting usage - Izanoni1, NOV 6, 2009