sollozo
/soˈʝoθo/masculine
The English word "sob" is translated into Spanish as sollozo.
sollozo is a masculine noun referring to a cry with a short, sudden expulsion of breath. For more intense situations, you can use the idiom llorar a moco tendido, which means to cry with snot running to describe someone sobbing uncontrollably or llorar como un niño, which means to cry like a child and describes someone sobbing loudly or uncontrollably. Related verbs that mean to weep with convulsive gasps include sollozar, llantear and plañir.
Meaning: a cry with a short, sudden expulsion of breath (noun)
Which one should you use?
While sollozo refers to the specific sound or act of a sob, llanto is a more general term for crying or weeping.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun sollozo is sollozos. The verb form of the noun is sollozar.
How do you pronounce it?
/soˈʝoθo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word sollozo is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'hiccup', as both stem from the same Latin roots describing a sudden contraction of the throat.
- The verb plañir is used for sobbing or wailing, but it carries a heavy, almost poetic or ritualistic connotation of mourning.
- The word sollozo shares the same root as the Portuguese word soluço, demonstrating how similar these Romance languages are regarding physical involuntary movements.
Examples in context
- En Argentina, la película "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" me hizo llorar como una magdalena.In Argentina, the movie "The Secret in Their Eyes" made me sob like a Magdalene.
- Escuché un sollozo en la habitación de al lado.I heard a sob in the next room.
- Su primer sollozo fue muy silencioso.Her first sob was very quiet.
- El sollozo del bebé despertó a todos.The baby's sob woke everyone up.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking in a quiet living room after watching a sad movie.
- Sofía¿Estás bien? Escuché un sollozo.Are you okay? I heard a sob.
- JavierSí, es que la película fue muy triste.Yes, it's just that the movie was very sad.
- SofíaTe entiendo, yo también lloro mucho.I understand you, I cry a lot too.
- JavierGracias por preocuparte por mí, Sofía.Thanks for worrying about me, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sob” translations and entries sollozo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sollozo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
