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"Blow" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "soplar", and "puff" is a noun which is often translated as "la ráfaga". Learn more about the difference between "blow" and "puff" below.
blow(
blo
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to propel)
a. soplar
I opened the door and the wind blew the leaves inside the house.Abrí la puerta y el viento sopló las hojas al interior de la casa.
The strong winds were blowing sands inland.Los vientos fuertes soplaban las arenas tierra adentro.
c. llevarse
The gust of wind blew all the papers from the table.La ráfaga de viento se llevó todos los papeles de la mesa.
d. tirar
Peter raised his hand and blew Sandy a kiss.Peter levantó la mano y le tiró un beso a Sandy.
2. (to sound)
a. sonarse
Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to blow my nose.¿Me permites un momento? Debo sonarme la nariz.
a. fundir
With that many Christmas lights, you're liable to blow a fuse.Con esa cantidad de luces Navideñas, podrías fundir un fusible.
c. hacer saltar
He blew a 30 amp fuse by operating a 50 amp oven on the same circuit.Hizo saltar un fusible de 30 amperes al echar a andar un horno de 50 amperes en el mismo circuito.
6. (to destroy)
a. volar
He dropped a lit match in the gas tank and blew the car to bits.Dejó caer un fósforo encendido en el tanque de gas y voló el coche en pedazos.
b. echar por tierra
With that crazy statement, he just blew the theory that he was the sane one in the group.Con esa declaración loca, acaba de echar por tierra la teoría de que él era el único cuerdo del grupo.
c. reventar
The sun heated the chamber and the resulting pressure blew the gasket.El sol calentó la cámara y la presión resultante reventó la junta.
7. (to ruin)
a. echar a perder
He blew his chance to be president when he answered the question like that.Echó a perder la oportunidad de ser presidente cuando contestó la pregunta de esa manera.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
They're not going to hire you. You blew it in the interview.No te van a contratar. La pifiaste en la entrevista.
You blew it, dude! She's a vegetarian and you took her to eat fish tacos.¡La embarraste, mano! Es vegetariana y la llevaste a comer tacos de pescado.
a. despilfarrar
He blew a month's salary in one day in Beverly Hills.Despilfarró el salario de un mes en un día en Beverly Hills.
b. fundirse
She blew her money on clothes and then had to borrow for food.Se fundió el dinero en la ropa y luego tuvo que pedir prestado para la comida.
9. (slang) (to leave) (United States)
A very informal word or phrase used by a particular group or community as a substitute for standard language (e.g., joint, john).
Regionalism used in the United States
a. largarse de (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
It's boring here. Let's blow this town.Es aburrido aquí. Largúemonos de este pueblo.
10. (vulgar) (to perform fellatio on)
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
14. (electronics)
a. fundirse
The fuse blew and left them in the dark.El fusible se fundió y los dejó en la oscuridad.
b. quemarse
It must have been a bad fuse. It blew as soon as I connected it.Debió haber sido un mal fusible. Se quemó en cuanto se conectó.
c. saltar
The lightning caused several appliances to blow.El relámpago hizo saltar varios aparatos domésticos.
15. (to burst)
b. estallar
The demolition team set dynamite to blow in strategic locations.El equipo de la demolición colocó dinamita para estallar en lugares estratégicos.
16. (slang) (to leave) (United States)
A very informal word or phrase used by a particular group or community as a substitute for standard language (e.g., joint, john).
Regionalism used in the United States
a. largarse (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
I'm done here. I'm going to blow. See you later.Ya acabé aquí. Me voy a largar. Hasta luego.
17. (colloquial) (to become angry)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. explotar (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Sam blew when he saw that his son had crashed the car into the garage.Sam explotó cuando vio que su hijo había chocado el coche contra la cochera.
18. (slang) (to be terrible)
A very informal word or phrase used by a particular group or community as a substitute for standard language (e.g., joint, john).
a. ser una mierda (vulgar)
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
This party blows. Let's bounce.Esta fiesta es una mierda. Vayámonos.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
19. (hit)
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
He felt like he was winning the fight until his opponent landed a strong blow on his chin.Sentía que estaba ganando la pelea hasta que su contrincante le dio un fuerte puñetazo en el mentón.
My old cell phone could take a blow with a hammer.Mi celular viejo podría aguantar un martillazo.
21. (setback)
a. el golpe (M) (figurative)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
His death came as a great blow to us all.Su muerte fue un duro golpe para todos.
puff(
puhf
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. la ráfaga (F) (of wind)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
A puff of wind filled the sails, and the ship began to glide forward.Una ráfaga de viento infló las velas, y el barco empezó a deslizarse hacia adelante.
b. el soplo (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
"You're going to feel a light puff of air on your eyes," said the optometrist's assistant."Va a sentir un soplo de aire ligero en los ojos", dijo la asistenta del optometrista.
c. el resoplido (M) (with a noise)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The train suddenly slowed, and the puffs of steam from the engine went silent.De repente, el tren redujo la velocidad, y se acallaron los resoplidos de vapor del motor.
a. la nube (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The wizard spoke strange and arcane words and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.El mago pronunció extrañas y arcanas palabras y entonces se desvaneció en una nube de humo.
b. la bocanada (F) (cigarette, pipe, etc.)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Mr. Churchill expelled a puff of smoke from his mouth, and he extinguished the cigar.El señor Churchill largó una bocanada de humo y apagó el cigarro.
c. la chupada (F) (inhaled smoke)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Frank Sinatra took a puff of his cigarette and kept singing without even exhaling.Frank Sinatra dio una chupada al cigarillo y siguió cantando sin ni siquiera exhalar.
d. la calada (F) (inhaled smoke) (Spain)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in Spain
"Look here, kid. I can make you a star," said the man in the glen plaid suit between puffs at his cigar."Mira guapa, yo te puedo convertir en una estrella", dijo el hombre con el traje de Príncipe de Gales entre caladas al puro.
e. la pitada (F) (inhaled smoke) (Latin America)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
The professor took another puff of the pipe and looked at her quizzically.El profesor dio otra pitada a la pipa y le lanzó una mirada perpleja.
3. (culinary)
a. el pastelito de hojaldre (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Baklava is a type of puff with honey and ground nuts.La baklava es un tipo de pastelito de hojaldre que lleva miel y nueces trituradas.
b. el milhojas (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I had a macaroon at the bakery, and my girlfriend had a puff.Yo comí un macarrón en la pastelería, y mi novia un milhojas.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
5. (to exhale)
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. resoplar
"I'm so out of shape!" he said, when he arrived puffing and sweating at the top of the hill."¡Estoy en muy mala forma!" dijo al llegar resoplando y sudando a la cima de la colina.
b. jadear
I was already puffing and shaking after doing ten pushups.Ya estaba jadeando y temblando después de hacer diez flexiones.
7. (to smoke)
a. dar pitadas (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
My Palestinian friends and I sat puffing at the hookah on the soft grass.Mis amigos palestinos y yo estábamos sentados en el césped acolchonado, dando pitadas al narguile.
b. dar caladas (Spain)
Regionalism used in Spain
My friend seemed lost in thought; he puffed at his cigarette and said nothing.Mi amigo parecía absorto; daba caladas al cigarro y no decía nada.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
8. (culinary)
a. de hojaldre
The puff pastry triangles are filled with spinach and feta cheese.Los triángulos de masa de hojaldre están rellenos de espinacas y de queso feta.
9. (colloquial) (journalism)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. de carácter promocional
The local paper published a puff article about the new mayor.El periódico local publicó un artículo de carácter promocional sobre el nuevo alcalde.
