animar
/aniˈmaɾ/
The English phrase 'hype up' can be translated into Spanish as animar.
animar is used when you want to make someone feel excited or enthusiastic about something. If the 'hype' refers specifically to the feeling of intense excitement or being moved by something, the verb emocionar is a common alternative.
Which one should you use?
While animar can mean to hype someone up, it is also the standard word used to mean 'to cheer someone up' when they are feeling sad.
How do you pronounce it?
/aniˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- If you are talking about 'hyping up' a product or an idea in a marketing sense, Spanish speakers often use the phrase dar bombo, which translates literally to 'to give drum'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want to say you are 'hyping up' a crowd or a party, you might use the slang term encender, which literally means 'to ignite' or 'to light a fire'.
- The word animar shares the same root as the English word 'animal'. Both come from the Latin anima, meaning 'breath' or 'soul'.
Examples in context
- Necesitamos motivar a nuestros empleados para alcanzar nuestros objetivos.We need to hype up our employees to achieve our goals.
- El entrenador estimuló al equipo antes del partido importante.The coach hyped up the team before the important match.
- Sus amigos le dieron ánimos antes del examen final.His friends hyped him up before the final exam.
- Vamos, anima a tu equipo en el partido de fútbol.Come on, hype up your team during the soccer match.
- ¡Vamos, que tú puedes! ¡Anímate!Come on, you can do it! Get excited/hype yourself up!
- Necesito animar a mi hermano para el partido.I need to hype up my brother for the match.
- Ella siempre sabe cómo animar a la gente.She always knows how to hype people up.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about an upcoming concert.
- Sofía¡El concierto es mañana! Tenemos que animar a los demás.The concert is tomorrow! We have to hype the others up.
- JavierTienes razón, Javier está muy emocionado.You're right, Javier is very excited.
- SofíaVoy a enviar un mensaje para animar al grupo.I'm going to send a message to hype up the group.
- JavierPerfecto, así todos estarán listos.Perfect, that way everyone will be ready.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry animar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries animar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
