Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| untar | /unˈtaɾ/ |
| embadurnar | /embaduɾˈnaɾ/ |
| ungir | /unˈxiɾ/ |
The primary way to express the action of spreading a substance is using the verb untar. This is the most common verb used in daily life, such as when spreading food like butter, cream or jam onto bread. If you wish to describe spreading something in a thin or light layer in a more formal context, you may use esparcir.
Which one should you use?
untar is the standard, neutral verb for spreading substances. In contrast, embadurnar implies a messy, careless or excessive spreading that often results in a mess.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle untado/a can be used as an adjective to describe something that has been smeared or spread. Additionally, the related nouns mancha and churrete can be used to refer to a mark.
How do you pronounce it?
/unˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, untar is used colloquially to mean bribing someone or giving a 'cut' of money under the table.
- The verb ungir is not used for food, but carries a heavy religious weight. It is almost exclusively used for the ritual of anointing a person with holy oil during ceremonies like coronations or ordinations.
- The English word 'anoint' shares a common ancestor with the Spanish verb untar. Both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to rub' or 'to anoint'.
Examples in context
- El niño decidió esparcir la pintura por toda la hoja.The child decided to smear the paint all over the paper.
- Sin querer, manché el espejo al intentar arreglar el maquillaje.Accidentally, I smeared the mirror while trying to fix my makeup.
- Puedes untar la mantequilla en el pan.You can spread the butter on the bread.
- Ella prefiere untar el queso en las galletas.She prefers to spread the cheese on the crackers.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- Lucía¿Puedes untar la mermelada en las tostadas, Alejandro?Can you spread the jam on the toast, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSí, Lucía, ya casi termino.Yes, Lucía, I am almost finished.
- LucíaGracias, se ve muy rico.Thank you, it looks delicious.
- AlejandroDe nada, disfruta tu desayuno.You're welcome, enjoy your breakfast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smear” translations and entries untar, embadurnar, ungir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ungir, untar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
