How to Say "to portray" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to portray” is “describir” — use 'describir' when you mean to paint a picture with words, explaining what something or someone is like in detail.
describir
deh-skree-BEERdes.kɾiˈβiɾ
Examples
Ella describió el paisaje con mucha emoción.
She described the landscape with a lot of emotion.
¿Puedes describir al ladrón a la policía?
Can you describe the thief to the police?
El informe describe los problemas económicos del país.
The report details the country's economic problems.
Regular -IR Pattern
This verb follows the standard conjugation pattern for most verbs ending in -IR (like vivir or abrir). If you know those, you know describir.
The Irregular Past Participle
Mistake: “Hemos describido la casa.”
Correction: Hemos descrito la casa. (We have described the house.) 'Descrito' is irregular, even though the rest of the verb is regular. Memorize it!
retratar
rre-tra-TARretɾaˈtaɾ
Examples
La novela retrata muy bien la vida en el campo.
The novel portrays life in the countryside very well.
El director retrató la crisis con mucha crudeza.
The director depicted the crisis with great harshness.
Figurative usage
In this context, 'retratar' works exactly like the English 'to portray'—you are using words or film to create a mental picture.
encarnar
en-kar-NAReŋkaɾˈnaɾ
Examples
El actor va a encarnar a Hamlet en la nueva obra.
The actor is going to play Hamlet in the new play.
¿Quién encarna al villano en la película?
Who plays the villain in the movie?
Fue un reto encarnar a una figura histórica tan compleja.
It was a challenge to portray such a complex historical figure.
The personal 'a'
When you say 'to play [a person/character],' you must use the 'personal a'. For example: 'Encarnar A Sherlock Holmes'.
Missing the 'a'
Mistake: “Él encarna el personaje principal.”
Correction: Él encarna AL personaje principal. (Remember: a + el = al).
caracterizar
ka-rahk-teh-ree-SAHRkaɾakteɾiˈθaɾ
Examples
El actor se caracterizó como un pirata.
The actor dressed up/transformed into a pirate.
La maquilladora lo caracterizó magistralmente para la película.
The makeup artist transformed him masterfully for the movie.
Reflexive for Dressing Up
When an actor transforms themselves using makeup or costumes, use the reflexive 'se' (caracterizarse).
plasmar
plah-SMAHRplazˈmaɾ
Examples
La fotografía plasma la esencia de la ciudad.
The photograph captures the essence of the city.
El informe plasma la crisis actual de la empresa.
The report reflects the current crisis of the company.
A 'Stronger' Word for Capture
While 'capturar' is usually for catching a thief or taking a photo, 'plasmar' implies that the final result shows the spirit or depth of the subject.
Describir vs. Retratar
Related Translations
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