parpadear
/paɾpadeˈaɾ/
The English phrase 'blink' is translated into Spanish as parpadear.
parpadear means to close and open one's eyes quickly. In certain specific contexts, it can also be used to mean 'to flicker'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form, used for 'I blink' or 'I am blinking', is parpadeo. The first-person singular preterite form, used for 'I blinked', is parpadeé.
How do you pronounce it?
/paɾpadeˈaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a figurative sense, if you want to say someone did something 'without blinking', you use sin parpadear to describe an act of incredible bravery. It shifts the meaning from a simple eye movement to a testament of someone's nerves of steel.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, excessive parpadeo during a conversation might be interpreted as a sign of nervousness or dishonesty rather than just a physical reflex.
- The verb parpadear shares a deep ancestral root with the Greek word -ĭ́zō, which relates to the concept of moving or acting in a certain way. This connects the physical act of blinking to a much broader family of ancient linguistic movements.
Examples in context
- El conductor parpadeó antes de cambiar de carril.The driver blinked before changing lanes.
- El niño tenía un ritmo de parpadeo rápido.The child had a rapid blink rate.
- Parpadeó varias veces debido al viento.He blinked several times because of the wind.
- No dejes de parpadear.Don't stop blinking.
- Ella empezó a parpadear mucho por el polvo.She started blinking a lot because of the dust.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are playing a staring contest.
- JavierNo parpadear es muy difícil.Not blinking is very difficult.
- SofíaYo puedo aguantar más que tú.I can hold it longer than you.
- Javier¡Acabas de parpadear, Sofía!You just blinked, Sofía!
- SofíaTienes razón, he perdido el juego.You're right, I lost the game.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry parpadear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries parpadear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
