Inklingo
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pintar

peen-TARpinˈtaɾ

to paint

Also: to color
VerbA1regular ar
A person using a roller to apply bright blue paint to a plain white indoor wall.
infinitivepintar
gerundpintando
past Participlepintado

📝 In Action

Tenemos que pintar la cocina de azul.

A1

We have to paint the kitchen blue.

Mi padre pintó toda la casa el verano pasado.

A2

My father painted the whole house last summer.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • colorear (to color in)
  • decorar (to decorate)

Common Collocations

  • pintar la pared – to paint the wall
  • pintar con brocha – to paint with a brush

to paint, to draw

Also: to depict
VerbA2regular ar
A close-up of a hand holding a paintbrush, adding yellow paint to a landscape painting on an easel.

📝 In Action

Picasso pintó obras muy famosas.

A2

Picasso painted very famous works.

¿Qué estás pintando? Parece un paisaje hermoso.

A2

What are you painting? It looks like a beautiful landscape.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • pintar un cuadro – to paint a painting
  • pintar al óleo – to paint in oil

to put on makeup

Also: to put on nail polish, to put on lipstick
VerbB1regular (reflexive) ar
A hand holding a red lipstick tube applying the color directly onto a person's lips.

📝 In Action

Ella se pinta muy rápido antes de salir.

B1

She puts on her makeup very quickly before leaving.

Me voy a pintar las uñas de rojo para la fiesta.

B1

I'm going to paint my nails red for the party.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • maquillarse (to put on makeup (general))

Common Collocations

  • pintarse los labios – to put on lipstick
  • pintarse los ojos – to put on eye makeup

to be relevant, to look like

Also: to play a role
VerbB2regular arinformal
A tiny, dull grey geometric shape isolated on a plain surface, completely ignored by three large, brightly colored, interacting geometric shapes.

📝 In Action

Este mueble aquí no pinta nada, deberíamos quitarlo.

B2

This piece of furniture doesn't belong here at all; we should remove it. (Literally: it doesn't paint anything)

El día pinta bien, creo que no lloverá.

C1

The day looks good, I think it won't rain.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • no pintar nada – to not belong/to be irrelevant

Idioms & Expressions

  • Pintar bastos – To look bad; to indicate trouble or difficulty (from card games)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpinta
yopinto
túpintas
ellos/ellas/ustedespintan
nosotrospintamos
vosotrospintáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpintaba
yopintaba
túpintabas
ellos/ellas/ustedespintaban
nosotrospintábamos
vosotrospintabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpintó
yopinté
túpintaste
ellos/ellas/ustedespintaron
nosotrospintamos
vosotrospintasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpinte
yopinte
túpintes
ellos/ellas/ustedespinten
nosotrospintemos
vosotrospintéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpintara
yopintara
túpintaras
ellos/ellas/ustedespintaran
nosotrospintáramos
vosotrospintarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pintar" in Spanish:

to color→to depict→to draw→to paint→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pintar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pintar' in its figurative, informal meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin word *pinctare, which is itself derived from the Latin *pingĕre*, meaning 'to represent, to decorate with color.' The core idea has always been about applying color or creating an image.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pintarItalian: pingere

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'pintar' and 'dibujar'?

'Pintar' means to apply color, usually using a wet medium like paint or makeup. 'Dibujar' means to draw, usually with lines or pencils, even if you fill in the lines afterward. If you are using oil or acrylic, always use 'pintar'.

Is 'pintar' always regular?

Yes, 'pintar' is a completely regular -AR verb in all tenses, making it one of the easiest verbs to learn and conjugate.