posar
“posar” means “to pose” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to pose
Also: to model
📝 In Action
No me gusta posar para las fotos de grupo.
A2I don't like to pose for group photos.
La modelo posó con un vestido de seda rojo.
B1The model posed with a red silk dress.
Él posó durante tres horas para el retrato.
B2He posed for three hours for the portrait.
to place gently, to rest
Also: to land / settle
📝 In Action
Posó la taza sobre el plato sin hacer ruido.
B2He placed the cup on the plate without making a sound.
El abuelo posó su mano sobre mi hombro.
B1My grandfather rested his hand on my shoulder.
El colibrí se posó en la flor.
B2The hummingbird landed on the flower.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: posar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence describes a bird landing on a fence?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'pausare', which means 'to stop' or 'to rest'. This is the same root that gave us the word 'pause' in English.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'posar' mean 'to pause'?
No, although they share the same Latin root. For 'to pause', use 'pausar' or 'hacer una pausa'.
Can I use 'posar' for parking a car?
No. For parking, use 'estacionar' or 'aparcar'. 'Posar' is for gentle manual placement or landing.
Is 'posar' common in daily conversation?
It's very common when talking about Instagram or photography. In the sense of 'placing down', it is a bit more formal/literary than 'poner'.