se burló
/se buɾlo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "sneered" is translated into Spanish as se burló.
se burló describes the act of speaking or smiling in a mocking way to show a lack of respect for someone. While it can be used broadly to mean one "mocked" or "made fun of" someone, in contexts specifically describing a person's tone or facial expression, it is the appropriate translation for "sneered".
Which one should you use?
se burló is used for a completed action in the past, whereas se burlaba is used to describe a continuous or habitual action of sneering in the past (such as "was sneering" or "used to sneer").
How does it change in a sentence?
se burló is the third-person singular preterite indicative form. When you want to express the object of the mockery, that is, the person being sneered at, the verb must be followed by the preposition de.
How do you pronounce it?
/se buɾlo/
Did you know?
- The word burla shares a root with the word burlesco, which is the origin of the English word 'burlesque'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a playful burla among close friends is a sign of affection and social bonding rather than a lack of respect.
- The 'se' in se burló actually stems from the Latin word 'illī', which originally meant 'to him' or 'to her'. Over centuries, the pronunciation shifted and was eventually reinterpreted by Spanish speakers as the reflexive pronoun 'se'.
Examples in context
- La madrastra se burló de Cenicienta.The stepmother sneered at Cinderella.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use se burló with the preposition de to indicate who is being sneered at.Tatoeba #1590223 by teskmon, translation #32485 by Dejo
- Él menospreció los esfuerzos de su compañero.He sneered at his colleague's efforts.
- Los niños se burlaron de su extraño peinado.The children sneered at his peculiar hairstyle.
- Él se mofó de su acento extranjero.He sneered at her foreign accent.
- Los jóvenes se rieron con desdén de la idea del profesor.The young people sneered at the professor's idea.
- Él se burló de mi nuevo corte de pelo.He sneered at my new haircut.
- El jefe se burló de sus ideas.The boss sneered at his ideas.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing a coworker's rude behavior.
- Daniel¿Viste cómo se burló de ti en la reunión?Did you see how he sneered at you in the meeting?
- MaríaSí, fue muy grosero y poco profesional.Yes, he was very rude and unprofessional.
- DanielNo dejes que sus comentarios te afecten.Don't let his comments affect you.
- MaríaTienes razón, voy a ignorarlo.You're right, I'm going to ignore him.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
