dar palmas
/daɾ palmas/from spelling rules
To clap in Spanish is dar palmas. Wiktionary also lists palmear and palmotear.
Meaning: intransitive: to strike the palms of the hands together (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dar palmas | /daɾ palmas/ (from spelling rules) |
| palmear | /palmeˈaɾ/ |
| palmotear | /palmoteˈaɾ/ |
The phrase refers to the physical act of striking the palms of the hands together. Related nouns include aplauso or plauso, which refer to the act or sound of applause and palma. The noun aplauso is the standard way to refer to a significant round of applause. If you are referring to a gentle pat or a slap, you might use palmada.
Which one should you use?
The verb aplaudir is the more common way to say 'to applaud' in a social context, whereas dar palmas focuses more on the physical movement of striking the hands together. Other forms include palmear and palmotear.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/daɾ palmas/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish slang, the word palmar (derived from the same root as palmear) is used as a colloquial way to say 'to die'.
- In the context of flamenco, palmas is not just a verb but a highly specialized percussive art form with different styles, such as palmas sordas for muted claps and palmas claras for sharp ones.
- The diminutive palmaditas transforms a clap or slap into a gentle, comforting pat, often used when soothing a child or a grieving friend.
Examples in context
- La audiencia aplaudió con entusiasmo el discurso del presidente.The audience clapped enthusiastically during the President's speech.
- El público empezó a dar palmas.The audience started to clap.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are watching a children's show.
- MaríaMira cómo el bebé quiere dar palmas.Look how the baby wants to clap.
- DanielEs muy tierno cuando lo hace.It is very cute when he does it.
- MaríaDaniel, ayúdalo a dar palmas.Daniel, help him clap.
- DanielClaro, lo intentaré ahora mismo.Sure, I will try it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clap” translations and entries dar palmas, palmear, palmotear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
