imprimación
/impɾimaθjon/from spelling rules
In Spanish, paint primer is imprimación.
The term refers to a preparatory coating applied to a surface before painting to ensure better adhesion and a smooth finish. In technical or DIY contexts, you can say dar una imprimación to mean 'to apply a primer'. Specific types include imprimación acrílica (acrylic primer) and imprimación al óleo (oil-based primer).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of imprimación is imprimaciones.
How do you pronounce it?
/impɾimaθjon/
Did you know?
- While imprimación is the technical term, many Spanish speakers in casual DIY contexts use the word fondo, which literally means 'bottom' or 'background', to refer to the primer layer.
- The word imprimación shares its root with the English word 'imprint', as both stem from the Latin 'imprimere', meaning 'to press into'.
- In the fine arts, an imprimación is not always white or neutral, as painters often use a colored base layer to fundamentally alter the tonal mood of the entire canvas.
Examples in context
- Necesito comprar una imprimación para la madera.I need to buy a paint primer for the wood.
- La imprimación ayuda a que la pintura no se salte.The primer helps prevent the paint from peeling.
- Aplica una capa de imprimación antes de empezar.Apply a coat of primer before starting.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are preparing to repaint a wooden cabinet.
- Mateo¿Tienes la imprimación para el mueble?Do you have the primer for the cabinet?
- LucíaSí, la tengo en el garaje, Mateo.Yes, I have it in the garage, Mateo.
- MateoPerfecto, la usaremos primero para que agarre bien.Perfect, we will use it first so it adheres well.
- LucíaEs muy importante usar una buena imprimación.It is very important to use a good primer.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries imprimación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
