soplar las velas
/soplaɾ las belas/from spelling rules
The phrase for blowing out candles in Spanish is soplar las velas.
This phrase describes the act of extinguishing the candles on a cake by blowing air on them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb soplar (to blow) and the noun phrase las velas (the candles).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, you may hear Apagar las velitas instead of Apagar las velas.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the verb soplar (to blow) is used alone to express the act of blowing out a flame. There is no need for a separate particle for 'out'.
Did you know?
- In Spanish slang, soplar is used when someone 'snitches' or 'spills the beans' about a secret.
- The word soplar is a linguistic relative of the English word 'souffle', which describes a dish that is 'puffed up' with air.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the act of soplar las velas is preceded by singing Las Mañanitas, a traditional song celebrating the dawn of the birthday.
Examples in context
- En la cena de gala, apagar las velas fue un momento especial para todos.At the gala dinner, blowing out the candles was a special moment for everyone.
- ¡Sopla las velas y pide un deseo!Blow out the candles and make a wish!
- A los niños les encanta soplar las velas.Children love blowing out the candles.
- Es hora de soplar las velas del pastel.It is time to blow out the cake candles.
- Ella no pudo soplar las velas por el viento.She could not blow out the candles because of the wind.
Example conversation
A birthday party in a living room.
- Javier¡Mira, Elena, ya puedes soplar las velas!Look, Elena, you can blow out the candles now!
- Elena¡Qué emoción! Muchas gracias, Javier.How exciting! Thank you so much, Javier.
- JavierPide un deseo antes de soplar las velas.Make a wish before blowing out the candles.
- ElenaLo haré, gracias por el detalle.I will, thanks for the kind gesture.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
