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untar

oon-TAHRunˈtaɾ

to spread

Also: to smear, to grease
VerbA2regular ar
A wooden knife spreading a thick layer of creamy yellow butter onto a piece of toasted bread.
gerunduntando
past Participleuntado
infinitiveuntar

📝 In Action

Me gusta untar mantequilla en el pan tostado.

A1

I like to spread butter on the toast.

Tienes que untar el molde con aceite antes de hornear.

A2

You have to grease the mold with oil before baking.

No te olvides de untarte crema solar en la espalda.

B1

Don't forget to put sunscreen on your back.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • untar con mantequilla – to spread with butter
  • untar en el pan – to spread on the bread

to bribe

Also: to grease someone's palm
VerbC1regular arslang
Spain & Latin America
A hand secretly passing a stack of green bills to another hand under a wooden table.

📝 In Action

Tuvieron que untar al funcionario para conseguir el permiso.

C1

They had to bribe the official to get the permit.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sobornar (to bribe (standard word))
  • cohechar (to bribe (legal term))

Idioms & Expressions

  • untar la mano – To bribe someone

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yountara
túuntaras
él/ella/usteduntara
nosotrosuntáramos
vosotrosuntarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesuntaran

Present Subjunctive

younte
túuntes
él/ella/ustedunte
nosotrosuntemos
vosotrosuntéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesunten

Indicative

Preterite

younté
túuntaste
él/ella/usteduntó
nosotrosuntamos
vosotrosuntasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesuntaron

Imperfect

yountaba
túuntabas
él/ella/usteduntaba
nosotrosuntábamos
vosotrosuntabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesuntaban

Present

younto
túuntas
él/ella/ustedunta
nosotrosuntamos
vosotrosuntáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesuntan
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "untar" in Spanish:

to bribe→to grease→to smear→to spread→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: untar

Question 1 of 3

What is the most common meaning of 'untar' at the breakfast table?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
untado(spread/smeared) — Adjective
untura(ointment/grease) — Noun
untuoso(unctuous/greasy) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'unctare', which means to anoint or smear. This comes from 'unguere' (to smear with oil).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: unctionEnglish: ointment

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'untar' for putting on makeup?

Not really. For makeup, we usually use 'ponerse' or 'aplicarse'. 'Untar' implies a thicker, more spreadable substance like a heavy cream or ointment.

What is the difference between 'untar' and 'extender'?

'Untar' specifically refers to the act of applying a substance to a surface. 'Extender' is more general and just means to spread something out over a larger area.

Is 'untar' a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all -ar verbs in all tenses, making it very easy to conjugate.