Inklingo

How to Say "to hiss" in Spanish

English → Spanish

silbar

/seel-BAR//silˈbaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'silbar' when referring to a sound made by a snake or other animal, or when a crowd expresses disapproval or rejection by making a whistling sound.
A crowd of people with unhappy faces holding their thumbs down in a stadium.

Examples

La serpiente se preparó para atacar y empezó a silbar.

The snake prepared to attack and began to hiss.

El público silbó al equipo después de perder el partido.

The crowd booed the team after losing the match.

Los manifestantes silbaron al político durante su discurso.

The protesters hissed at the politician during his speech.

Whistling for hate vs. love

In English-speaking countries, whistling can be a cheer. In many Spanish-speaking stadiums, whistling (silbar) is almost exclusively for booing and disapproval.

escupir

/ess-koo-PEER//eskuˈpiɾ/

verbB2general
Use 'escupir' when describing the act of spitting something out, often with force or anger, like an animal hissing venom or a machine ejecting an item abruptly.
A colorful vending machine ejecting a single round blue ball from its dispensing slot.

Examples

El gato herido le escupió a su agresor.

The injured cat hissed at its aggressor.

El cajero automático me escupió la tarjeta de repente.

The ATM spat my card out suddenly.

El volcán empezó a escupir cenizas y lava.

The volcano began to spit out ashes and lava.

Me escupió las palabras con mucho odio.

He spat the words at me with a lot of hatred.

Figurative Language

Spanish uses 'escupir' for anything that is forced out quickly, much like 'spit out' in English.

Silbar vs. Escupir

Learners often confuse 'silbar' and 'escupir' for 'to hiss'. Remember that 'silbar' is primarily for the sound of disapproval or an animal's warning, while 'escupir' involves the physical act of spitting something out, often aggressively.

Related Translations

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