sumiso
/suˈmiso/
The English word "submissive" is translated into Spanish as sumiso.
The word is an adjective used to describe someone who is meekly obedient or passive. It can also function as a noun to describe a person who submits to a partner.
Meaning: meekly obedient or passive (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its ending based on the gender and number of the person or noun being described. Use sumiso for a masculine singular subject. To describe a female person or a feminine noun, use the feminine form sumisa. For a group of men or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural sumisos. If the group consists only of females, use the feminine plural sumisas.
How do you pronounce it?
/suˈmiso/
Did you know?
- While sumiso describes a personality trait, the verb sumirse means to sink or plunge deeply into a state of mind, such as sumirse en la tristeza 'to sink into sadness'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, describing a person as sumiso in a romantic context can carry a stronger connotation of a loss of dignity than the English word 'submissive' implies.
- In Spanish, sumisión is frequently used in formal legal and historical texts to describe a conquered territory accepting a new ruler.
Examples in context
- El perro es sumiso a su amo.The dog is submissive to its owner.
- Ella mostró una actitud sumisa frente a su jefe.She displayed a submissive attitude towards her boss.
- Los niños son dóciles y atienden a sus padres.The children are submissive and listen to their parents.
- Ella se mostró dócil y aceptó las decisiones de su jefe.She showed herself to be submissive and accepted her boss's decisions.
- Pedro es un mandilón. Siempre obedece a su esposa sin cuestionar.Pedro is submissive. He always obeys his wife without questioning.
- Su novio es un mandilón. Hace todo lo que ella le dice.Her boyfriend is submissive. He does everything she tells him to do.
- El joven era demasiado sumiso ante su jefe.The young man was too submissive toward his boss.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are discussing a character in a novel.
- Daniel¿Te gusta el protagonista de la novela?Do you like the protagonist of the novel?
- LucíaNo, me parece un hombre muy sumiso.No, he seems like a very submissive man to me.
- DanielEs cierto, siempre acepta todo sin protestar.It's true, he always accepts everything without protesting.
- LucíaExacto, su carácter es demasiado pasivo.Exactly, his character is too passive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “submissive” translations and entries sumiso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
