inclinarse hacia adelante
/inklinaɾse aθja adelante/from spelling rules
To lean forward in Spanish is inclinarse hacia adelante.
The phrase is used to describe moving the upper part of the body toward the front. A more colloquial alternative is echarse hacia adelante, which can mean to lean or to throw oneself forward.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the reflexive verb inclinarse (to lean oneself), the preposition hacia (toward) and the adverb adelante (forward).
Which one should you use?
echarse hacia adelante is a more colloquial option.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the verb is reflexive (inclinarse), you must use a reflexive pronoun such as se, me or te depending on the subject. For example, to say he/she leans forward, you would say se inclina hacia adelante.
How do you pronounce it?
/inklinaɾse aθja adelante/
Did you know?
- While inclinarse hacia adelante is a physical movement, the colloquial phrase echarse hacia adelante can also be used metaphorically to describe someone being proactive or even acting with a certain level of audacity.
- The word hacia comes from the Latin phrase faciem ad, which literally means 'facing towards' the face.
- The reflexive verb inclinarse shares a root with the English word 'incline'. While English uses 'lean' for the physical act, 'incline' is often reserved for preferences or slopes, whereas Spanish uses it for the literal movement of the torso.
Examples in context
- Por favor, inclínese hacia adelante para una mejor visualización de la pantalla.Please, lean forward for a better view of the screen.
- Le solicito que incline su cuerpo hacia delante para recibir adecuadamente el premio.I kindly ask that you lean forward to properly receive the award.
- ¿Puedes inclinarte hacia adelante un poco más? No puedo verte bien desde aquí.Can you lean forward a bit more? I can't see you well from here.
- Si te inclinas hacia adelante, podrás ver mejor.If you lean forward, you will be able to see better.
- El paciente debe inclinarse hacia adelante para el examen.The patient must lean forward for the examination.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- ElenaNo puedo ver el detalle de la firma.I can't see the detail of the signature.
- MateoPrueba a inclinarse hacia adelante un poco, Elena.Try to lean forward a bit, Elena.
- ElenaAhora sí, ya puedo leerlo perfectamente.Now I can, I can read it perfectly.
- MateoEs una firma muy pequeña, ¿verdad?It is a very small signature, right?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adelante, hacia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
