cantar una canción
/kantaɾ una kanθjon/from spelling rules
To sing a song in Spanish is cantar una canción.
To perform a piece of music by using the voice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can say Cantá una canción to ask someone to sing a song.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 'cantar' changes to cantó in the third-person singular preterite to indicate a completed action in the past. Additionally, the form cantamos is the same for both the present tense and the preterite (past tense) in the first-person plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/kantaɾ una kanθjon/
Did you know?
- While you might think of only music, in some Spanish-speaking contexts, the verb cantar is used metaphorically to mean 'to snitch' or 'to confess' information to the authorities.
- While cantar means to sing, the phrase cantar las cuarenta means to tell someone off or give them a piece of your mind.
- The word cantar shares the same Latin root as the English word 'chant', meaning both originate from the idea of repetitive or rhythmic singing.
Examples in context
- Puedes cantar una canción.You can sing a song.Tatoeba #1164935 by Shishir, translation #69541 by CM
- Ellos me forzaron a cantar una canción.They forced me to sing a song.Tatoeba #1116604 by marcelostockle, translation #306687 by CK
- Tom empezó a cantar una canción y nosotros le seguimos.Tom started to sing a song and we all sang along.Tatoeba #13304625 by ecorralest101, translation #7539962 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are at a karaoke party.
- LucíaMateo, ¿quieres cantar una canción?Mateo, do you want to sing a song?
- MateoSí, pero me da mucha vergüenza.Yes, but I am very shy.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, vamos a cantar una canción juntos.Don't worry, we are going to sing a song together.
- MateoEstá bien, busquemos algo fácil.Alright, let's find something easy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries canción, cantar, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
