sonar
/so-NAR/
to ring
When sonar means 'to ring', it refers to sounds made by devices like a doorbell or a phone.
sonar(verb)
to ring
?phone, doorbell
,to sound
?noise, music
to go off
?alarm, siren
,to toll
?bell
📝 In Action
Mi despertador suena a las seis de la mañana.
A1My alarm clock goes off at six in the morning.
¿Puedes oír? El teléfono está sonando.
A1Can you hear? The phone is ringing.
Las campanas de la iglesia sonaron al mediodía.
A2The church bells tolled at noon.
💡 Grammar Points
Stem-Changing Verb (o → ue)
In the present tense, the 'o' changes to 'ue' when stressed (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, ellos/ellas/ustedes). The 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms are regular and keep the 'o'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Sonar' and 'Tocar'
Mistake: "Usar 'tocar' para decir que el teléfono hace ruido. (Using 'tocar' to say the phone makes noise.)"
Correction: Use 'sonar' for non-human things making noise (alarms, bells, phones). 'Tocar' means 'to touch' or 'to play a musical instrument'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'A' with Time
When talking about an alarm or bell going off at a specific time, use the preposition 'a': 'Suena a las diez' (It rings at ten).
When used to mean 'to sound like', sonar describes resemblance or similarity in impression.
sonar(verb)
to sound like
?to seem or appear
,to be familiar
?names or stories
to ring a bell
?fig.: to be recognizable
,to seem
?impression
📝 In Action
Esa idea suena muy bien, deberíamos intentarlo.
B1That idea sounds really good; we should try it.
Tu voz suena un poco triste hoy, ¿estás bien?
B1Your voice sounds a little sad today, are you okay?
Ese nombre me suena, ¿lo conozco de algo?
B2That name rings a bell (is familiar to me), do I know him from something?
💡 Grammar Points
Connecting Impressions
To say something 'sounds like' something else, use 'sonar a' (sonar + a + noun): 'Suena a excusa' (It sounds like an excuse).
Used reflexively (sonarse), the word means 'to blow one's nose'.
📝 In Action
Necesito sonarme la nariz, tengo un resfriado terrible.
A2I need to blow my nose; I have a terrible cold.
Ella se suena discretamente en el pañuelo.
B1She discreetly blows her nose into the handkerchief.
💡 Grammar Points
The Reflexive Form
When 'sonar' is used to mean 'to blow one's nose,' it must be reflexive: 'sonarse.' This means you need a little pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) that matches the person doing the action.
Using Body Parts
Unlike English, Spanish often uses the definite article ('la nariz' - the nose) instead of the possessive ('mi nariz' - my nose) when the action is clearly happening to the person doing the verb.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sonar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses the figurative meaning of 'sonar' (to seem or sound like)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'sonar' the same as 'tocar'?
No. 'Tocar' means 'to touch' or 'to play a musical instrument.' 'Sonar' means 'to make a sound' (like a bell or phone) or 'to seem' (like an idea). If a piece of music is playing, you use 'tocar'; if the music is simply audible, you often use 'sonar'.
Why does 'sonar' change its stem in some forms?
'Sonar' is an irregular verb that follows the common pattern where the vowel in the middle of the verb stem changes from 'o' to 'ue' whenever that syllable is stressed when you say it out loud (like 'yo sueno').