escupir
/eskuˈpiɾ/
To spit in Spanish is escupir.
The verb escupir is used to describe the act of evacuating saliva or another substance from the mouth. You can use the phrase escupir fuego to mean both the literal act of spitting fire and the figurative expression for the same. If you want to refer to a single act or a glob of spit, use the noun escupitajo.
Meaning: to evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth, etc. (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of escupir is escupido. In the preterite tense, the third-person singular form is escupió (he/she/it spit). In the present indicative, the second-person singular informal form is escupas (you spit).
How do you pronounce it?
/eskuˈpiɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish idioms, 'escupir verdades' is a common way to describe someone who is 'spitting truths', meaning they are telling blunt or uncomfortable facts.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the act of spitting on the ground is considered a strong sign of disrespect or a way to express profound contempt for someone.
- The English word 'cuspidor', meaning a spittoon, shares the same Latin root as escupir.
Examples in context
- Un caballero no escupiría en la calle.A gentleman would not spit on the street.This sentence uses escupir to illustrate the behavior of a gentleman.Tatoeba #529575 by darinmex, translation #269706 by CK
- Por favor, no escupas en la calle.Please do not spit on the street.
- Es educado no expulsar saliva en público.It is polite not to spit in public.
- No debes escupir en el suelo del metro.You shouldn't spit on the subway floor.
- Él tiene que escupir para limpiar su boca.He has to spit to clear his mouth.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are walking through a park.
- Elena¡Qué asco! Ese hombre va a escupir.How gross! That man is going to spit.
- JavierTienes razón, Elena, es muy desagradable.You're right, Elena, it's very unpleasant.
- ElenaDeberían prohibir escupir en los parques públicos.They should prohibit spitting in public parks.
- JavierEstoy de acuerdo contigo.I agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spit” translations and entries escupir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escupir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
