admirar
/admiˈɾaɾ/
To admire in Spanish is admirar.
The verb admirar is used to express the act of regarding someone or something with wonder and delight. In certain contexts, such as in Mexico, you may hear the verb encantar used informally to convey a sense of fascination or admiration.
Meaning: regard with wonder and delight (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the verb encantar can be used informally to convey fascination or admiration.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb is admiración. The past participle is admirado, which you can use to form perfect tenses or as an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/admiˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'admire' is almost always positive, the Spanish admirar can occasionally be used ironically to describe someone's audacity or 'nerve' in a situation.
- Spanish speakers often use the phrase estoy admirado to express a state of being stunned or bewildered, which can sometimes lean toward a negative or neutral shock rather than positive praise.
- While admirar usually means to regard with wonder, in some contexts it can be used as a synonym for 'to gaze at' or 'to look at' something carefully, regardless of whether the person feels deep respect.
Examples in context
- No podía evitar admirarla.He could not but admire her.This sentence shows how to use admirar when referring to a person.Tatoeba #3672856 by Seael, translation #302912 by CM
- Era capaz de admirar su cuerpo.I was able to admire its body.This sentence shows how to use admirar when referring to a physical object or body part.Tatoeba #640396 by Shishir, translation #620896 by ulyssemc1
- No había nadie que no admirara al joven.There was no one that did not admire the boy.This sentence shows how to use admirar in a negative construction regarding a person.Tatoeba #1855171 by marcelostockle, translation #46270 by Dejo
- Admiro profundamente su dedicación y esfuerzo en su trabajo.I deeply admire your dedication and effort in your work.
- Aprecio mucho su talento artístico.I greatly admire your artistic talent.
- Respeto profundamente su trayectoria profesional.I deeply admire your professional career.
- Alucino con tus habilidades para bailar. Eres increíble.I'm blown away by your dancing skills. You're incredible.
- ¡Flipo con tus pinturas! Son impresionantes.I'm amazed by your paintings! They're impressive.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at an art gallery.
- DanielEsta pintura es increíble, Elena.This painting is incredible, Elena.
- ElenaSí, es fácil admirar su técnica.Yes, it is easy to admire his technique.
- DanielAdmiro la pasión del artista.I admire the artist's passion.
- ElenaDaniel, tienes muy buen gusto.Daniel, you have very good taste.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “admire” translations and entries admirar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
