llorar
/ʝoˈɾaɾ/
The Spanish word for 'to cry' is llorar. Wiktionary also lists plorar (desus.).
Meaning: intransitive: to shed tears (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| llorar | /ʝoˈɾaɾ/ |
| plorar (desus.) |
The verb llorar is the most common way to express the action of shedding tears. If you want to describe the act or sound of crying as a noun, you can use llanto or vagido. If you want to describe a 'cry' that refers to a loud shout or scream, use the noun grito.
Which one should you use?
llorar refers specifically to the act of shedding tears. If the 'cry' you are referring to is a loud shout or scream, you should use the verb gritar instead.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous action of crying, use the gerund form llorando, such as in the phrase está llorando (he/she is crying).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝoˈɾaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse llorar with the act of crying out or shouting. Use llorar only when you mean shedding tears, and use gritar for shouting.
Did you know?
- The English word 'implore' shares the same Latin ancestor, plōrāre, as the Spanish verb llorar.
- In colloquial Spanish, llorar can be used to describe someone complaining excessively or whining about a situation.
- The word llanto refers to the act of crying, but it can also refer to a funeral dirge or a mournful song.
Examples in context
- Tom va a llorar.Tom will cry.This example shows the use of llorar to indicate a future action.Tatoeba #2217436 by hayastan, translation #2215657 by CK
- Se larga a llorar.He's beginning to cry.This example uses llorar to show the beginning of an action.Tatoeba #504758 by Leono, translation #296497 by CK
- Él me hizo llorar.He made me cry.This example demonstrates how llorar can be used as an infinitive following another verb.Tatoeba #3443362 by cueyayotl, translation #2490444 by Hybrid
- Me hizo llorar con su discurso emotivo.He made me cry with his emotional speech.
- No es apropiado llorar en público.It is not appropriate to cry in public.
- El discurso de despedida hizo que derramara lágrimas.The farewell speech made me shed tears.
- La película me hizo derramar lágrimas de emoción.The movie made me shed tears of excitement.
- Al leer la noticia triste, le salieron lágrimas.Upon reading the sad news, tears came out.
- No pudo evitar que le salieran lágrimas al hablar del accidente.She couldn't help tears coming out when talking about the accident.
- Cuando perdió el partido, se echó a llorar.When he lost the game, he burst into tears.
- El bebé se echó a llorar cuando le quitaron su juguete favorito.The baby burst into tears when they took away his favorite toy.
- Después de la pelea, Juan terminó llorando como un niño.After the fight, Juan ended up crying like a boy.
- Cuando la película triste terminó, María lloró como una niña.When the sad movie ended, María cried like a girl.
- Los niños estaban lloriqueando porque no les dieron el postre.The kids were whining because they didn't get dessert.
- 180 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo is watching a sad movie with Elena.
- MateoEsta película me hace llorar.This movie makes me cry.
- ElenaYo también tengo ganas de llorar.I feel like crying too.
- MateoEs muy triste el final.The ending is very sad.
- ElenaNo llores, Mateo, ya terminó.Don't cry, Mateo, it's over now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries llorar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries llorar, plorar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
