sonríe como si lo sintieras
/sonrie komo si lo sintjeɾas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "smile like you mean it" can be translated into Spanish as sonríe como si lo sintieras.
This phrase is a request for someone to smile in a way that looks sincere and genuine.
Which one should you use?
While sonríe como si lo sintieras translates to "smile like you mean it", you may also encounter Sonría con sinceridad to mean "Sincerely smile" and Sonríe de verdad to mean "Smile for real".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase sonríe como si lo sintieras, the word sonríe is the informal imperative (tú command), which is used when speaking to a friend or someone you know well.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a genuine smile is often accompanied by a slight tilt of the head or a touch on the arm, gestures that reinforce the 'sincerity' requested in sonría con sinceridad.
- The concept of 'meaning it' in the phrase sonríe como si lo sintieras relies on the verb sentir, which can also mean 'to regret'. Depending on the context, the phrase could be misinterpreted as smiling as if you feel sorry.
- The word como in this phrase is a cognate of the French word comme and the Italian word come. All three descended from the Latin word cōmō̆, which was a non-literary way of saying 'how'.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are taking a professional portrait together.
- DanielElena, mira a la cámara y sonríe como si lo sintieras.Elena, look at the camera and smile like you mean it.
- ElenaEs que estoy muy cansada, Daniel.It's just that I'm very tired, Daniel.
- DanielSolo un segundo, piensa en algo feliz.Just for a second, think of something happy.
- ElenaEstá bien, lo intentaré una vez más.Alright, I'll try one more time.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries como, lo, si, CC BY-SA 4.0.
