besar
/beˈsaɾ/
To kiss in Spanish is besar.
The verb besar means to touch or press one's lips against another person or an object.
Which one should you use?
While besar is the verb for the action of kissing, beso is the noun used to refer to the kiss itself. You can also use the diminutive besito to mean 'a little kiss', which is often used affectionately.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The slang term chapar is used in Argentina and Spain to mean 'to French kiss'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are kissing a person, you must use the personal 'a' before the object, such as in the phrase besar a María. The noun form of the verb besar is beso.
How do you pronounce it?
/beˈsaɾ/
Did you know?
- The informal verb morrear is used in several Latin American countries to describe long and passionate kissing, moving far beyond the polite meaning of besar.
- In Spain, the customary greeting involves two besos, one on each cheek, typically starting with the right cheek first.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a beso as a greeting is often a 'kiss of air' where cheeks touch but lips do not actually make contact with the skin.
Examples in context
- No voy a besarte.I'm not going to kiss you.This sentence uses besar to express a refusal to perform the action.Tatoeba #2883085 by teskmon, translation #2544722 by CK
- Quiero besar a Tom.I want to kiss Tom.This sentence uses besar to express a desire to kiss a specific person.Tatoeba #2169580 by hayastan, translation #2011417 by CK
- ¿Me vas a besar o no?Are you going to kiss me or not?This sentence uses besar to ask if a kiss is going to happen.Tatoeba #6390178 by baudelaire, translation #2541583 by CK
- Me encantaría besarteI would love to kiss you
- Le di un beso de despedidaI gave him/her a goodbye kiss
- Me acerqué a ella y le planté un beso en la mejillaI approached her and planted a kiss on her cheek
- ¡Deja de besuquearlo tanto!Stop kissing him so much!
- Pasamos la noche morreando en la playaWe spent the night making out on the beach
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are saying goodbye after a date.
- SofíaDame un beso antes de irte.Give me a kiss before you leave.
- DanielClaro, me encanta besarte.Of course, I love to kiss you.
- SofíaTú siempre sabes cómo besar.You always know how to kiss.
- DanielHasta mañana, Sofía.Until tomorrow, Sofía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry besar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
