mirar con lascivia
/miɾaɾ kon lasθibja/from spelling rules
The English verb 'to leer' is expressed in Spanish as mirar con lascivia.
The phrase is used to describe looking at someone with sexual desire or malicious intent. In specialized contexts, examinar can be used as a synonym for 'leer' when referring to carefully reading and analyzing a text.
Meaning: to look with sexual desire or malicious intent (verb)
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word leer is a common homonym that usually means 'to read', creating a potential point of confusion for English speakers who only know 'leer' as a way of looking.
- The word lascivia is rarely used in casual conversation and is mostly found in legal texts, literature or formal descriptions of behavior, making mirar con lascivia a very heavy and serious accusation.
- The word mirar actually shares its roots with the English word 'admire', as both stem from the Latin 'mirari' meaning 'to marvel at'.
Examples in context
- Es importante leer todos los documentos antes de firmar.It is important to read all documents before signing.
- ¿Puedes echarle un vistazo a mi redacción para ver si hay errores?Can you take a look at my essay to see if there are any errors?
- Me gusta echar una ojeada a las noticias cada mañana.I like to skim through the news every morning.
Example conversation
Elena tells Alejandro about a strange man at the party.
- ElenaAlejandro, ese hombre empezó a mirar con lascivia a mi amiga.Alejandro, that man started looking at my friend with lust.
- Alejandro¡Qué horror! ¿Se lo dijiste a alguien?How awful! Did you tell anyone?
- ElenaNo, pero ella también notó que él solía mirar con lascivia.No, but she also noticed that he used to look with lust.
- AlejandroEs mejor que nos alejemos de él ahora mismo.It is better if we move away from him right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries con, lascivia, mirar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
