aplaudir
/aplauˈdiɾ/
The English phrase 'clap hands' is translated into Spanish as aplaudir.
To express the action of striking the palms of the hands together to show approval or praise, you can use the verb aplaudir. Another common way to express this action is the phrase dar palmas. If you wish to request or describe a round of applause, the noun phrase un aplauso is frequently used.
Which one should you use?
dar palmas is a common alternative way to express the action of clapping hands.
How do you pronounce it?
/aplauˈdiɾ/
Did you know?
- In the world of flamenco, palmas are not just applause but are categorized as a formal percussion instrument with distinct technical styles.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, teachers use a single loud clap as a non-verbal signal to immediately command silence and attention from a group of students.
- The Latin root of aplaudir involves a combination of 'ad' (towards) and 'plaudere' (to strike), literally meaning 'to strike towards'.
Examples in context
- están aplaudiendoThey are clapping
- ¡Vamos, aplaudamos!Come on, let's clap!
- Ella aplaudióShe clapped
- El público empezó a aplaudir.The audience began to clap.
- No hay que aplaudir tan fuerte.You shouldn't clap so loudly.
- Todos van a aplaudir al final.Everyone is going to clap at the end.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are watching a street performance.
- Lucía¡Mira qué bien baila ese hombre!Look how well that man dances!
- JavierEs increíble, deberíamos aplaudir.It's incredible, we should clap.
- LucíaTienes razón, Javier. ¡Bravo!You are right, Javier. Bravo!
- JavierMe encanta aplaudir cuando el show es bueno.I love to clap when the show is good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry aplaudir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aplaudir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
