mimar
/miˈmaɾ/
The English phrase 'spoiling' can be translated into Spanish as mimar.
mimar means giving a person, especially a child, too much love or too many gifts. While 'mimar' can mean to spoil a child with too much affection, it is also commonly used positively to mean 'to pamper' or 'to treat someone well'.
Which one should you use?
If you want to emphasize that the spoiling is causing bad behavior or 'spoiling' the child's character, the verb malcriar is more precise than mimar.
How do you pronounce it?
/miˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word consentido for a 'spoiled' person comes from the verb consentir, meaning 'to consent' or 'to allow'. It suggests the person is spoiled because they were never told 'no'.
- The Spanish word for 'pampering' or 'tenderness', mimo, is a homonym for the word used to describe a 'mime' or silent performer.
- While English speakers often use 'spoiling' to describe ruining a movie plot, Spanish uses the word spoiler or the verb destripar. The word mimar is never used for information.
Examples in context
- Mi abuela me consiente con deliciosa comida casera.My grandmother spoils me with delicious homemade food.
- Los padres miman a su hijo con regalos lujosos en cada ocasión.The parents spoil their child with lavish gifts on every occasion.
- Mi novio me consiente con sorpresas románticas.My boyfriend spoils me with romantic surprises.
- No malcríes demasiado a tu perro, o se volverá desobediente.Don't spoil your dog too much, or it will become disobedient.
- La abuela consiente a sus nietos con dulces y regalos.Grandma spoils her grandchildren with candies and gifts.
- Malcriamos a nuestra gata dejándola dormir en nuestra cama.We spoil our cat by letting her sleep on our bed.
- Jake se mima con un lujoso día de spa.Jake pampers himself with a luxurious spa day.
- No es bueno malcriar a los niños en exceso. Necesitan aprender responsabilidad.It's not good to spoil children excessively, they need to learn responsibility.
- Estás mimando demasiado al niño.You are spoiling the child too much.
- No deberías mimar tanto al perro.You shouldn't spoil the dog so much.
- Mis abuelos me suelen mimar mucho.My grandparents usually spoil me a lot.
- Ese regalo es para mimar a la reina.That gift is to spoil the queen.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are talking about their nephew's behavior.
- Daniel¿Crees que estamos mimando demasiado al niño?Do you think we are spoiling the child too much?
- SofíaUn poco, pero es muy tierno.A little, but he is very cute.
- DanielA veces es malo mimar a los hijos.Sometimes it is bad to spoil children.
- SofíaTienes razón, Daniel.You are right, Daniel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mimar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
