How to Say "to drill" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to drill” is “entrenar” — use 'entrenar' when referring to practicing a skill or preparing someone for an activity through repetition.
entrenar
en-treh-NARentɾeˈnaɾ
Examples
El equipo entrena duro para el partido.
The team trains hard for the game.
El profesor entrena a los estudiantes para el debate.
The teacher trains the students for the debate.
Necesitamos entrenar al perro para que no ladre tanto.
We need to train the dog so it doesn't bark so much.
Mi meta es entrenar un equipo campeón.
My goal is to coach a champion team.
Action on Others
This usage of 'entrenar' focuses on the action you perform on someone else (the person being trained). You need the connector 'a' before the person you are training: 'Yo entreno a María'.
perforar
pair-fo-RARpeɾfoˈɾaɾ
Examples
El carpintero perforó la madera para pasar los cables.
The carpenter drilled through the wood to pass the wires.
Necesito perforar estas hojas para ponerlas en la carpeta.
I need to punch holes in these sheets to put them in the folder.
Ella decidió perforarse las orejas en una joyería.
She decided to get her ears pierced at a jewelry store.
El proyectil logró perforar el blindaje del tanque.
The projectile managed to pierce the tank's armor.
Using 'se' for Personal Piercings
When talking about getting your own body pierced (like ears), use the reflexive form 'perforarse' (e.g., 'Me perforé la nariz').
Direct Object Connection
This word directly affects the object being pierced. You don't need a preposition like 'in' or 'on'—just say 'perforar el metal' (to pierce the metal).
Confusion with 'Piercing'
Mistake: “Me hice un perforar.”
Correction: Me hice un piercing (noun) or Me perforé (verb).
Training vs. Making Holes
Related Translations
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