beso esquimal
/beso eskimal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "eskimo kiss" is translated into Spanish as beso esquimal.
The term refers to the act of rubbing one's nose against another person's nose. While beso esquimal is a direct translation, you may also encounter the informal phrase beso de narices or the endearing variant besito de narices to describe this action.
Meaning: rubbing of one's nose against another's (noun)
Which one should you use?
The phrase beso de narices is an informal way to say "Eskimo kiss," whereas besito de narices serves as an informal and endearing variant.
Did you know?
- The word esquimal is a linguistic oddity because it was borrowed from the French plural esquimaux and treated as if it were a singular noun in Spanish.
- The term esquimal is increasingly viewed as controversial or outdated in many Spanish-speaking academic and social circles, similar to its usage in English.
- The phrase beso esquimal is an example of a 'calque', where a phrase from one language is translated word-for-word into another, rather than being a native Spanish idiom.
Examples in context
- En algunas culturas, como la esquimal, se practica el beso esquimal, donde se frota la nariz como muestra de cariño.In some cultures, such as the Eskimo one, the Eskimo kiss is practiced, where the nose is rubbed as a sign of affection.
- Él y su novia siempre se saludan con un beso de narices, ¡es tan tierno!He and his girlfriend always greet each other with a nose kiss, it's so sweet!
- ¡Qué bonito fue cuando él le dio un besito de narices a su hijita antes de dormir!How beautiful it was when he gave his little daughter a little nose kiss before sleeping!
- Me encanta ese gesto del beso esquimal.I love that eskimo kiss gesture.
- Ellos se dieron un beso esquimal muy tierno.They gave each other a very sweet eskimo kiss.
Example conversation
A couple is talking about how they greet each other.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿te gusta el beso esquimal?Alejandro, do you like the eskimo kiss?
- AlejandroSí, Elena, es un gesto muy dulce.Yes, Elena, it is a very sweet gesture.
- ElenaA mí también me parece muy lindo.I also think it is very cute.
- AlejandroPodemos hacerlo siempre que nos veamos.We can do it whenever we see each other.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beso, esquimal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
