menear
/meneaɾ/from spelling rules
To jiggle is translated into Spanish as menear.
The verb menear is used to describe the action of shaking something gently.
Meaning: To shake something gently (verb)
Which one should you use?
While menear implies a gentle, repetitive jiggling or swaying, sacudir is used for more vigorous or sudden shaking.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present indicative of menear is menea. The noun form of the verb menear is meneo, which refers to a jiggle or a shake.
How do you pronounce it?
/meneaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, if someone says they are menear la lengua, they are not jiggling their tongue, but rather gossiping or speaking too much.
- While menear means to jiggle now, it evolved from the old Spanish words manear and menar, both of which referred to driving livestock.
- In certain rhythmic contexts, a meneo can refer specifically to the swaying movement of hips during a dance.
Examples in context
- El muñeco empezó a moverse y temblar ligeramente.The doll began to jiggle.
- La gelatina se sacude suavemente en el plato.The jelly jiggles softly on the plate.
- El flan tiene un suave temblor al tacto.The flan has a gentle jiggle to the touch.
- Menear la gelatinaTo jiggle the gelatin
- No dejes de menear la gelatina.Don't stop jiggling the gelatin.
- Él empezó a menear la bandeja con cuidado.He started to jiggle the tray carefully.
- Puedes menear la mesa para que se asiente.You can jiggle the table so it settles.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are trying to open a stuck door.
- SofíaEsta puerta no se abre.This door won't open.
- DanielIntenta menear el pomo un poco.Try to jiggle the knob a bit.
- SofíaYa lo estoy haciendo, pero sigue trabada.I'm already doing it, but it's still stuck.
- DanielDéjame intentar a mí, Sofía.Let me try, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries menear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
