dar a luz
/ˌdaɾ a ˈluθ/
To give birth in Spanish is dar a luz. Wiktionary also lists parir and jedar.
Meaning: produce new life (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dar a luz | /ˌdaɾ a ˈluθ/ /ˌdaɾ a ˈlus/ |
| parir | /paˈɾiɾ/ |
| jedar | /xeˈdaɾ/ |
The phrase is used to describe the act of producing new life. In Spain, you may also encounter the expression traer al mundo, which means to bring into the world.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, dar a luz means to give to light.
Which one should you use?
Dar a luz is a polite and euphemistic way to express the act of giving birth. In contrast, parir is a more clinical or blunt term and is the standard biological term often used when referring to animals.
How does it change in a sentence?
Dar a luz is an intransitive verbal periphrasis. This means the phrase does not take a direct object representing the baby.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdaɾ a ˈluθ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid adding a direct object to the phrase, such as dar a luz un hijo. In Spanish, the baby is not the direct object of the phrase.
Did you know?
- The word parir is biologically accurate but can sound insulting or dehumanizing if used for a person in a social setting. It is the standard term for animals, so using it for a woman may imply she is behaving like livestock.
- The phrase dar a luz is a shared linguistic tradition across the Romance languages, appearing as dar à luz in Portuguese and dare alla luce in Italian.
Examples in context
- Tom fue al hospital a dar a luz.Tom went to the hospital to give birth.This sentence shows someone going to the hospital to use the phrase dar a luz.Tatoeba #10543501 by Shishir, translation #10543506 by DJ_Saidez
- El pabellón ya contaba con casi una docena de mujeres embarazadas a punto de dar a luz.The pavilion already held about a dozen pregnant women about to give birth.This sentence describes pregnant women who are about to use the phrase dar a luz.Tatoeba #10283917 by Seael, translation #10612146 by sangelo
- La paciente dio a luz a una hermosa niña hace dos días.The patient gave birth to a beautiful girl two days ago.
- El médico está listo para asistirla mientras ella alumbra.The doctor is ready to assist her while she gives birth.
- Mi hermana mayor parió a su tercer hijo en casa.My older sister gave birth to her third child at home.
- María y Pedro tuvieron un bebé el mes pasado.Maria and Pedro had a baby last month.
- Ella espera dar a luz en mayo.She expects to give birth in May.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about a relative's pregnancy.
- DanielCuándo cree que Elena va a dar a luz?When do you think Elena will give birth?
- ElenaEl médico dice que será la próxima semana.The doctor says it will be next week.
- DanielEspero que todo salga bien al dar a luz.I hope everything goes well when she gives birth.
- ElenaSí, ella está muy emocionada.Yes, she is very excited.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “give birth” translations and entries dar a luz, parir, jedar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, dar, dar a luz, jedar, luz, parir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
