admiro
/admiɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I look up to" is translated into Spanish as admiro.
admiro is used to express that you look up to or admire someone. While the English phrase "look up to" is an idiomatic phrasal verb, admiro is a direct verb that carries the weight of respect and admiration.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the object of your admiration is a person, you must use the personal 'a' after the verb, resulting in the structure admiro a (I look up to someone). The infinitive form admirar a alguien is the equivalent of the English phrase "to look up to someone".
How do you pronounce it?
/admiɾo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, admirar can occasionally be used as a subtle form of irony or sarcasm, implying that someone's audacity or nerve is surprising rather than respectable.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying te admiro can be a very intimate or heavy statement, sometimes carrying more emotional weight than the casual English 'I look up to you'.
- Spanish uses the verb idolatrar when the feeling of 'looking up to' someone crosses the line into obsession or extreme devotion, such as in fandoms.
Examples in context
- Cuando voy a visitar a alguien a quien admiro, primero le escribo y le digo por qué.When I am going to visit someone I look up to, I first write to him and tell him why.Tatoeba #1359707 by Shishir, translation #261980 by papabear
- Le admiro de muchas maneras.I look up to him in many ways.Tatoeba #862549 by jorgearestrepo, translation #274939 by CM
- Admiro mucho su dedicación al trabajo.I look up to her dedication to work very much.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about their favorite teachers.
- JavierAdmiro mucho a mi profesora de historia.I really look up to my history teacher.
- Lucía¿Por qué la admiras tanto?Why do you look up to her so much?
- JavierPorque ella siempre es justa con todos.Because she is always fair with everyone.
- LucíaTienes razón, es una gran persona.You're right, she is a great person.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
