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perfilar

per-fee-LAR/peɾfiˈlaɾ/

“perfilar” means “to outline” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to outline

Also: to sketch, to silhouette
VerbB1regular ar
A hand using a pencil to draw a thick black outline around a simple wooden chair.
gerundperfilando
past Participleperfilado
infinitiveperfilar

📝 In Action

Ella empezó a perfilar el dibujo con un rotulador negro.

B1

She started to outline the drawing with a black marker.

Las montañas se perfilaban contra el cielo del atardecer.

B2

The mountains were silhouetted against the evening sky.

Es importante perfilar bien los bordes antes de pintar.

B1

It is important to outline the edges well before painting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • contornear (to outline)
  • bosquejar (to sketch)

Antonyms

  • borrar (to erase)
  • difuminar (to blur)

Common Collocations

  • perfilar los labios – to line the lips (makeup)
  • perfilar una silueta – to outline a silhouette

to refine

Also: to shape, to polish
VerbB2regular ar
A hand using a small brush to add final gold details to a colorful ceramic vase.
gerundperfilando
past Participleperfilado
infinitiveperfilar

📝 In Action

Todavía tenemos que perfilar los detalles del contrato.

B2

We still need to refine the details of the contract.

El plan de estudios se está perfilando para el próximo año.

C1

The curriculum is taking shape for next year.

Perfilaron la propuesta hasta que fue aceptada.

B2

They polished the proposal until it was accepted.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • desordenar (to mess up)
  • abandonar (to abandon)

Common Collocations

  • perfilar un proyecto – to shape a project
  • perfilar una estrategia – to refine a strategy

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesperfilaran
yoperfilara
túperfilaras
vosotrosperfilarais
nosotrosperfiláramos
él/ella/ustedperfilara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesperfilen
yoperfile
túperfiles
vosotrosperfiléis
nosotrosperfilemos
él/ella/ustedperfile

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesperfilaron
yoperfilé
túperfilaste
vosotrosperfilasteis
nosotrosperfilamos
él/ella/ustedperfiló

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesperfilaban
yoperfilaba
túperfilabas
vosotrosperfilabais
nosotrosperfilábamos
él/ella/ustedperfilaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesperfilan
yoperfilo
túperfilas
vosotrosperfiláis
nosotrosperfilamos
él/ella/ustedperfila
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: perfilar

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the most common use for 'perfilar' in a beauty salon?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
perfil(profile) — Noun
perfilado(outlined/profiled) — Adjective
perfilador(liner (e.g., eye liner)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From 'perfil' (profile), which comes from the roots meaning 'along the thread' or 'edge'.

First recorded: 17th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: perfilarItalian: profilare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'perfilar' regular or irregular?

It is completely regular. It follows the exact same pattern as 'hablar' or 'cantar' in all tenses.

Can I use 'perfilar' for social media profiles?

Not really. Use 'perfil' as a noun for a social media profile, but 'perfilar' usually refers to the action of drawing an edge or refining a plan.

How do I say 'to outline an essay'?

You can use 'perfilar un ensayo' to talk about refining the details, or 'hacer un esquema' for the structural outline.