rellenar
/reʝeˈnaɾ/
The English phrase 'refill' is translated into Spanish as rellenar. Wiktionary also lists reservir and rehenchir.
Meaning: to fill up again (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| rellenar | /reʝeˈnaɾ/ |
| reservir | /reseɾbiɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
| rehenchir | /reent͡ʃiɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
rellenar is the most common verb used when you want to fill up a container or a gap. This verb is also used for the specific action of filling out or completing a form or a document. For the noun form meaning an additional helping, you can use refill, reservida or rehenchimiento.
Which one should you use?
While rellenar is used for filling a container or a gap, the verb reabastecer is used for restocking supplies. If you are speaking in a formal context, particularly when charging or adding substance to an item, you may use recargar.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word rellenado is the past participle used as an adjective to describe something that has been filled or stuffed.
How do you pronounce it?
/reʝeˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- If you are asking for a refill of a drink in a restaurant in many Spanish-speaking countries, you might find that the concept of a free 'bottomless' refill does not exist as it does in the US.
- While rellenar means to fill a container, the word relleno is most commonly used to describe the stuffing inside a turkey or the filling of a cake.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the term refill has been adopted directly into casual speech, especially in coffee shops, despite the existence of many native verbs.
Examples in context
- ¿Me lo puedes rellenar?Can I get a refill?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can provide a refill using rellenar.Tatoeba #13642842 by mexicanhere, translation #13625692 by CK
- Por favor, ¿puede reponer mi vaso de agua?Could you refill my glass of water, please?
- Necesito recargar mi bolígrafo.I need to refill my pen.
- Por favor, recargue mi tarjeta de teléfono.Please refill my phone card.
- El mesero llenará el vaso de soda de nuevo.The waiter will refill the soda glass.
- Debo llenar de nuevo mi botella de tinta.I need to refill my ink bottle.
- Oye, ¿puedes rellenar mi vaso de refresco?Hey, can you refill my soda glass?
- Por favor, vuelve a llenar el dispensador de jabón.Please refill the soap dispenser.
- Después de beber mi agua, siempre vuelvo a llenar mi botella.After drinking my water, I always refill my bottle.
- Necesito rellenar la botella de agua.I need to refill the water bottle.
- Voy a rellenar el bote de arena.I am going to refill the sand jar.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a restaurant, Daniel is asking for more water.
- Lucía¿Quieres que te traiga más agua, Daniel?Do you want me to bring you more water, Daniel?
- DanielSí, ¿puedes rellenar mi vaso, Lucía?Yes, can you refill my glass, Lucía?
- LucíaClaro, ahora mismo lo hago.Sure, I will do it right now.
- DanielMuchas gracias, eres muy amable.Thank you very much, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “refill” translations and entries rellenar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
