Spoilt - enpañado?

Question

I've seen estropeado as spoilt but a passage I was reading the other said in English - the happiness of the moments would have been spoilt and the Spanish version said:

habría empañado la felicidad del momento

I haven't come across empañado before - does it / can it mean spoilt? - when I looked it up on wordref.com I got 'breaded'?

Answer 1

Yes, MC, empañar is often used as a literary way to express the idea of "spoilt".

Think about something that gets clouded, shadowed, blured... (metaphorically) like a glass or a mirror when you breathe over them.

In fact, from RAE:

Empañar

(De en- y paño)

tr. Envolver a las criaturas en pañales.

tr. Quitar la tersura, brillo o diafanidad. U. t. c. prnl.

tr. Dicho del vapor de agua: Cubrir un cristal o superficie pulimentada. U. t. c. prnl.

tr. Dicho de las lágrimas: Cubrir los ojos. U. t. c. prnl.

tr. Oscurecer o manchar el honor o la fama, amenguar el mérito o gloria de una persona o de una acción. U. t. c. prnl.

prnl. Dicho de la voz: Perder su sonoridad o claridad.

'empañar' is more subtle than "echar a perder" that sounds very dramatic ( like if something were broken beyond repair). Empañar can express the same idea, but softer. - cogumela, Dec 7, 2010

gracias, :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2010

Answer 2

As an speaker of English I can't say I've ever used "spoilt" in a sentence. I have used the word "spoiled". I know they mean the same thing but thank you Marie for the question and to all who responded. Knowledge is power!!

Jason, I belive that "spoilt" is the English version, along with "learnt." In the U.S. we would say "spoiled" and "learned." - --Mariana--, Dec 7, 2010

I do believe your right, I am going to use "spoilt" in the near future!! :) - Jason7R, Dec 7, 2010

lol :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2010

Answer 3

Are your asking about empanado (breaded), empañado (description) or enpañado (title)?

empanado

Aviso

La palabra enpañado no está en el Diccionario.

La palabra empañado no está registrada en el Diccionario. Las que se muestran a continuación tienen una escritura cercana...empanado.

Try looking under spoiled as well as spoilt.

spoiled: WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2010

• spoiled adj (child) consentido
• spoiled adj (food) echado a perder x
• spoiled adj (child) mimado

spoiled: WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2010

Compound Forms:

• spoiled brat mocoso engreído nm
• spoiled child niño engreído nm

Mimado is the term that I have heard used here a few times.

Thanx Q - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2010

Answer 4

Spoilt can be translated as echar a perder, desperdiciar too.

Yes thank you Sheldon, I've seen those too, the second one perhaps more as 'waste' but do you know anything about 'empañado' being used in this way? - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2010