betún
/beˈtun/
The English phrase "shoe polish" is translated into Spanish as betún.
betún refers to the wax or cream used to polish and shine leather shoes. To describe the actual act of polishing shoes, you can use the verb phrase dar betún.
Which one should you use?
You can use betún de zapatos if you need to explicitly specify that you are talking about shoe polish to avoid any ambiguity in a sentence.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people often refer to shoe polish as pasta para zapatos.
How do you pronounce it?
/beˈtun/
Did you know?
- The word betún shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'bitumen', a naturally occurring form of petroleum used for waterproofing.
- If you are in a professional setting, a person who applies betún as a job is called a betunero, a term used in several Latin American countries.
- In historical Spanish architecture, betún was once applied to stone and wood to create a waterproof seal.
Examples in context
- Por favor, ¿dónde puedo encontrar betún para zapatos?Excuse me, where can I find shoe polish?
- Hola, ¿me prestas un poco de crema de zapatos? Quiero limpiar mis botas.Hi, can you lend me some shoe polish? I want to clean my boots.
- Necesito comprar un betún para mis botas.I need to buy some shoe polish for my boots.
- El betún negro está en el cajón.The black shoe polish is in the drawer.
- ¿Tienes un poco de betún?Do you have some shoe polish?
Example conversation
Alejandro is getting ready for a formal event at home.
- Alejandro¿Sabes dónde está el betún?Do you know where the shoe polish is?
- LucíaEstá en el armario de la entrada, Alejandro.It is in the entryway closet, Alejandro.
- AlejandroGracias, quiero que mis zapatos brillen.Thanks, I want my shoes to shine.
- LucíaCon ese betún quedarán perfectos.With that shoe polish, they will look perfect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry betún, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries betún, CC BY-SA 4.0.
