respirar
/respiˈɾaɾ/
The English verb "breathe" is translated into Spanish as respirar.
Respirar means to draw air in and out. If you want to specify taking a deep breath, you can use the phrase respirar hondo.
Meaning: to draw air in and out (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb respirar is respiración, which means "breathing" or "breath".
How do you pronounce it?
/respiˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the phrase dar un respiro means to give someone a break or some breathing room, often used when someone is being pressured or overworked.
- The Spanish word for 'breath' as a single unit of air, aliento, is often used to describe the scent of one's breath, whereas respiración refers only to the process.
- The English word 'respire' is a direct cognate of respirar, though it is used almost exclusively in scientific contexts in English whereas respirar is the everyday word in Spanish.
Examples in context
- No puedo respirar bien.I can't breathe well.This sentence is useful for expressing difficulty in breathing well with respirar.Tatoeba #7942479 by arh, translation #8165626 by magnificentgoddess
- La gente quiere respirar.People want to breathe.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to breathe with respirar.Tatoeba #10144780 by Shishir, translation #10144797 by Ergulis
- Aquí no se puede respirar.It's not possible to breathe here.This sentence is useful for describing an environment where it is impossible to breathe with respirar.Tatoeba #697474 by Shishir, translation #696059 by qdii
- Es importante respirar lentamente para relajarse.It's important to breathe slowly to relax.
- Practica la respiración profunda para mejorar tu bienestar.Practice deep breathing to improve your well-being.
- Necesito tomar aliento antes de seguir caminando.I need to catch my breath before continuing to walk.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A yoga class where the instructor is giving advice.
- JavierTrata de respirar profundamente.Try to breathe deeply.
- MaríaEs difícil respirar con este calor.It is hard to breathe in this heat.
- JavierSolo debes respirar con calma.You should just breathe calmly.
- MaríaEstá bien, lo intentaré.Okay, I will try.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breathe” translations and entries respirar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries respirar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
