How to Say "Subtle" in Spanish

sutil

/suˈtil/

The English word "subtle" is translated into Spanish as sutil.

sutil is used to describe an action or movement that is very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable.

Meaning: of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable (adj)

How does it change in a sentence?

The adjective sutil is invariant in gender, meaning it is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. The plural form of sutil is sutiles.

/suˈtil/

The word sutil shares a direct ancestor with the English word 'subtle'. Both stem from the Latin 'subtilis', which originally meant 'fine-woven' or 'very thin'.
In Spanish, sutil can be used to describe a person who is clever or crafty in a way that is not immediately obvious. This describes a person's intellect rather than a physical movement.
If you are describing something that is 'subtle' in terms of being hard to detect, you could also use the word tenue for light or sound. While sutil works for nuance, tenue is more specific to intensity.

Hay una sutil diferencia entre las dos palabras.
There is a subtle difference between the two words.
This example shows how to describe a subtle difference between two words using sutil.
Tatoeba #1240441 by Shishir, translation #50727 by CM
Hay una sutil diferencia de significado entre ambas palabras.
There's a subtle difference in meaning between the two words.
This sentence illustrates a subtle difference in meaning between words using sutil.
Tatoeba #7943086 by Seael, translation #44644 by CM
Diferencias sutiles en el tono distinguen al original de la copia.
Subtle differences in tone discriminate the original from the copy.
This sentence shows how subtle differences in tone are used with sutil to distinguish an original from a copy.
Tatoeba #1829418 by marcelostockle, translation #239453 by jakov
El cambio en su tono de voz fue sutil, pero noté su descontento.
The change in his/her tone of voice was subtle, but I noticed their discontent.
Noté una sonrisa disimulada en su rostro cuando mencionaste su nombre.
I noticed a subtle smile on his/her face when you mentioned their name.
Tienes un sentido del humor fino, siempre haces chistes ingeniosos.
You have a subtle sense of humor, you always make clever jokes.
Me encanta cómo combinas los colores, le das un toque fino a tus diseños.
I love how you mix the colors, you give your designs a subtle touch.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

María and Alejandro are at an art gallery.

María

Ese cambio de luz es muy sutil.
That change in light is very subtle.
Alejandro

Tienes razón, es casi imperceptible.
You are right, it is almost imperceptible.
María

Me encanta el toque sutil de este pintor.
I love this painter's subtle touch.
Alejandro

Sí, su estilo es muy elegante.
Yes, his style is very elegant.

Sources

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