Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| babear | /babeˈaɾ/ | |
| salivar | /saliˈbaɾ/ | |
| hacérsele la boca agua | /aθeɾsele la boka aɡwa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /aseɾsele la boka aɡwa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
|
| hacérsele la boca un agua | /aθeɾsele la boka un aɡwa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /aseɾsele la boka un aɡwa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
|
| hacérsele agua la boca | /aθeɾsele aɡwa la boka/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /aseɾsele aɡwa la boka/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
|
| babosear | /baboseˈaɾ/ | transitive |
| ensalivar | /ensaliˈbaɾ/ | transitive |
While salivar and ensalivar refer to the secretion of saliva, babear is the common way to describe the act of drooling. For figurative use, such as when food looks delicious, the idiomatic expression hacérsele la boca agua (or its variations) is used.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb babear is derived from the noun baba, which means drool or slime.
Which one should you use?
Babear is the colloquial, common way to describe the physical act of drooling. In contrast, salivar is a more neutral or medical term for the secretion of saliva. If you wish to specify an object that is being drooled upon, or to describe someone 'drooling over' something (often used figuratively for excessive praise), use the transitive form babosear.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
babosear is a transitive form, used when you want to specify the object being drooled upon or when describing someone 'drooling over' something.
How do you pronounce it?
/babeˈaɾ/
When do people say it?
The idiomatic phrase hacérsele la boca agua (also seen as hacérsele la boca un agua or hacérsele agua la boca) is used figuratively to express that something looks delicious or highly desirable, similar to the English expression 'to make one's mouth water'.
Did you know?
- The word babosear is often used to describe someone talking nonsense or 'babbling', which stems from the idea of someone being covered in 'baba'.
- The adjective baboso can also carry a social connotation of being 'creepy' or overly/uncomfortably affectionate, rather than just being clumsy.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the word baboso has evolved far beyond its literal meaning to function as a sharp insult for someone who is foolish or an idiot.
Examples in context
- Cada vez que sonaba el timbre de la escuela, Ivan se ponía a mirar al vacío y a babear. Después de varios exorcismos infructuosos, sus padres se dieron cuenta de que era de hecho la reencarnación de uno de los perros de Pavlov.Whenever the school bell rang, Ivan would stare into space and drool. Several failed exorcisms later, his parents realized that he was the reincarnation of one of Pavlov's dogs.This sentence uses babear to describe a character staring into space and drooling.Tatoeba #1160470 by Shishir, translation #707504 by papabear
- La paciente tiene saliva en la comisura de los labios.The patient has drool at the corner of her lips.
- El perro deja baba por todos lados.The dog leaves drool everywhere.
- El bebé tiene un churrete en la barbilla.The baby has a drool spot on his chin.
- El bebé suele babear cuando duerme.The baby usually drools when he sleeps.
- El perro empezó a babear al ver la carne.The dog started to drool when he saw the meat.
Example conversation
A mother is checking on her sleeping baby.
- DanielMira, el bebé está empezando a babear.Look, the baby is starting to drool.
- MaríaEs normal, Daniel, está creciendo.It is normal, Daniel, he is growing.
- Daniel¿Debo cambiarle la ropa?Should I change his clothes?
- MaríaSí, su camiseta está muy mojada.Yes, his shirt is very wet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drool” translations and entries babear, salivar, babosear, ensalivar, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
