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How to Say "crying" in Spanish

English → Spanish

llorando

yoh-RAHN-dohʝoˈɾando

Verb (Gerund)A1General
Use 'llorando' when you want to describe the action of shedding tears as it is happening right now.
A close-up illustration of a young child's face with visible tears streaming down their cheeks, depicting sadness.

Examples

¿Por qué estás llorando? ¿Te duele algo?

Why are you crying? Does something hurt you?

Pasó toda la noche llorando después de ver la película triste.

She spent the whole night crying after watching the sad movie.

Llegó al trabajo llorando y nadie sabía qué había pasado.

He arrived at work crying and nobody knew what had happened.

Action in Progress

This form, ending in -ando (or -iendo), tells you that an action is happening right now or was happening at a specific moment. It's the Spanish equivalent of English verbs ending in -ing.

Using it with 'Estar'

The most common way to use 'llorando' is with the verb 'estar' (to be) to form the continuous tense: 'estoy llorando' (I am crying), 'estaba llorando' (I was crying).

Confusing Gerund and Infinitive

Mistake: “Using 'Es importante llorar' when you mean 'It is important to cry' (the general action), but incorrectly using 'Es importante llorando' (meaning 'It is important crying').”

Correction: Remember that 'llorando' describes an action *in progress* or *how* an action is done. For general actions or after verbs like 'to be able to,' use the infinitive 'llorar'.

llanto

yan-tohˈʝanto

NounB1General
Use 'llanto' to refer to the general sound or act of weeping, often as a concept or a sustained event.
A close-up illustration of a person's face with large, blue tears rolling down their cheeks.

Examples

El llanto del bebé se escuchaba en toda la casa.

The baby's crying could be heard throughout the house.

Ella no pudo contener el llanto cuando vio a su hijo.

She couldn't hold back her tears when she saw her son.

Después de la pelea, se entregó a un llanto desconsolado.

After the fight, she gave in to inconsolable weeping.

Action vs. Noun

Remember that 'llanto' is the name of the sound or the act (a noun). If you want to say 'to cry', you should use the action word 'llorar'.

Using the Article

Since it is a masculine noun, always use 'el' or 'un' before it (e.g., 'el llanto').

Confusing it with the verb

Mistake: “Yo llanto mucho.”

Correction: Yo lloro mucho. 'Llanto' is a noun (crying), not the verb (to cry).

Gerund vs. Noun

The most common mistake is using the noun 'llanto' (crying) when you mean the ongoing action described by the gerund 'llorando' (crying). Remember, 'llorando' is an action in progress, while 'llanto' refers to the act or sound itself.

Related Translations

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