Circumlocution in Spanish
If you learned Spanish in a classroom setting, chances are you're accustomed to asking "¿Cómo se dice...?" ("How do you say...?") when you get stuck on a word. But what if the Spanish speaker to whom you are speaking doesn’t speak English? Then you will have to rely on words you already know to describe what you’re trying to say. This is called perífrasis or circunloquio.
Here is a list of circumlocution strategies:
Give a Description
When you don’t know how to say a word in Spanish, use the words you do know to describe it. The most simple way to do this is to use es(it is) followed by an adjective describing its shape, color, size, etc.
Here are some other sentence starters you can use to describe the word you don't know:
While you are describing a word you don't know, don't be afraid to use gestures or act it out!
Let’s take a look at some examples! Can you figure out the words being described? Check your answers below!
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Example #1: una carretilla(wheelbarrow)
Use Relative Pronouns
You can use relative pronouns like que(that/who) and donde(where) to give even more information about the word you are describing.
Do you know the words that are being described? Check your answers below.
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¡Alerta de spoiler! (Spoiler alert!) The answers are listed below.
Example #1: un carpincho(capybara)
Example #2: un bombero(firefighter)
Example #3: una peluquería(hair salon/barbershop)
Use Synonyms/Antonyms
Another circumlocution strategy is using a synonym to define a word you don’t know. If you forget a word, try to think of an easier word with a similar meaning. You can also give an antonym by using the phrase Es el opuesto de…(It’s the opposite of…).
Can you figure out these adjectives? Check your answers below.
| examples |
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¡Alerta de spoiler! (Spoiler alert!) The answers are listed below.
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