How to Say "to fascinate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to fascinate” is “fascinar” — use 'fascinar' when you are personally extremely interested or captivated by something, often an idea, object, or place..
fascinar
/fas-see-NAHR//fasiˈnaɾ/
Examples
Me fascina la idea de viajar por el mundo.
I am fascinated by the idea of traveling the world.
Me fascina la arquitectura antigua de esta ciudad.
I am fascinated by the ancient architecture of this city.
A mis hijos les fascinan los dinosaurios.
My children love dinosaurs / Dinosaurs fascinate my children.
Siempre me ha fascinado la idea de viajar al espacio.
The idea of traveling to space has always fascinated me.
The 'Gustar' Rule
This verb works backwards compared to English. Instead of saying 'I fascinate it,' you say 'It fascinates me.' You start with words like me, te, le, nos, os, or les.
Matching the Thing You Love
The ending of the verb changes based on the thing that is fascinating. Use 'fascina' for one thing (Me fascina el libro) and 'fascinan' for multiple things (Me fascinan los libros).
Using 'Yo'
Mistake: “Yo fascino la música.”
Correction: Me fascina la música. In Spanish, the music is the one doing the action to you.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Mis amigos les fascina bailar.”
Correction: A mis amigos les fascina bailar. When you mention specific people by name or title, you must put 'A' at the very beginning.
deslumbrar
des-loom-BRAR/deslumˈbɾaɾ/
Examples
Su presentación deslumbra a la audiencia por su originalidad.
Her presentation dazzles the audience with its originality.
Ella deslumbra a todo el mundo con su inteligencia.
She dazzles everyone with her intelligence.
El joven pianista deslumbró al público con su talento.
The young pianist dazzled the audience with his talent.
No te dejes deslumbrar por el dinero y la fama.
Don't let yourself be dazzled by money and fame.
Deslumbrar and people
When 'deslumbrar' affects a specific person, you usually use the 'personal a': 'Deslumbró a sus padres'.
Overusing 'impresionar'
Mistake: “Using 'impresionar' for everything.”
Correction: Use 'deslumbrar' when the person is so talented or beautiful it feels like you've been 'blinded' by their brilliance.
hipnotizar
/eep-noh-tee-SAHR//ipnotiˈθaɾ/
Examples
El paisaje montañoso me hipnotizó durante horas.
The mountain landscape hypnotized me for hours.
El mago intentó hipnotizar a alguien del público.
The magician tried to hypnotize someone from the audience.
Su voz tranquila parece hipnotizar a los bebés.
Her calm voice seems to mesmerize the babies.
Me quedé hipnotizado mirando las llamas de la chimenea.
I was spellbound watching the flames in the fireplace.
The 'Z' to 'C' Spelling Change
In Spanish, the letter 'z' usually changes to 'c' before the letter 'e'. Because of this, when you say 'I hypnotized' (hipnoticé), you use a 'c' instead of a 'z'.
Using 'A' with People
When you hypnotize a person, you must use the 'personal a'. Example: 'Hipnotizó a su amigo' (He hypnotized his friend).
The Silent H
Mistake: “ipnotizar”
Correction: hipnotizar (the 'h' is always written but never spoken).
Spelling in the Past
Mistake: “Yo hipnotizé”
Correction: Yo hipnoticé (remember that 'z' becomes 'c' before 'e').
Confusing 'fascinar' with 'deslumbrar'
Related Translations
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