besos de mariposa
/besos de maɾiposa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "butterfly kisses" is translated into Spanish as besos de mariposa.
This phrase refers to the light kisses given by fluttering the eyelashes against another person's skin.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of besos (kisses) and de mariposa (of butterfly).
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a single butterfly kiss, use the singular form beso de mariposa.
How do you pronounce it?
/besos de maɾiposa/
Did you know?
- The word mariposa might originate from the religious command María pósate, meaning 'Mary, alight!' This refers to an ancient belief that butterflies were the souls of the dead being guided by the Virgin Mary.
- In Spanish, mariposa is used as a colloquialism to describe a person who is fickle or flighty, much like the English term 'social butterfly'.
Examples in context
- Ella le dio besos de mariposa en la mejilla.She gave him butterfly kisses on the cheek.
- Me encantan tus besos de mariposa.I love your butterfly kisses.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are playing with their newborn baby.
- DanielMira cómo se ríe con los besos de mariposa.Look how he laughs with the butterfly kisses.
- MaríaSí, es su parte favorita del día.Yes, it is his favorite part of the day.
- DanielVoy a darle unos más ahora.I am going to give him some more now.
- MaríaTen cuidado, que se puede asustar.Be careful, he might get scared.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, mariposa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
