Inklingo

How to Say "to shade" in Spanish

English → Spanish

oscurecer

os-koo-re-SAIR/oskuɾeˈθer/

verbB1general
Use this word when you want to make a color or an area darker, especially in an artistic context or when painting.
A hand holding a paintbrush adding dark grey paint to a bright yellow wall.

Examples

Voy a oscurecer el fondo de la pintura para que el sujeto resalte más.

I'm going to darken the background of the painting so the subject stands out more.

Quiero oscurecer un poco el color de las paredes.

I want to darken the color of the walls a little bit.

Ella decidió oscurecer su cabello para el invierno.

She decided to darken her hair for the winter.

Las nubes oscurecieron el campo de repente.

The clouds suddenly darkened the field.

Direct objects

When you are darkening something else, that 'something' is the object of the verb. Example: 'La lluvia oscureció el cielo' (The rain darkened the sky).

Pronominal use

Mistake: “La pintura se oscureció.”

Correction: La pintura se oscureció (is correct), but don't forget the 'se' if it darkened on its own.

asombrar

/ah-sohm-BRAHR//asomˈbɾaɾ/

verbB1general
Use this word in its original, literal sense of casting a shadow over something, though it's less common in everyday speech for this meaning and more often means 'to amaze'.
A child with wide eyes and an open mouth looking at a glowing, magical butterfly.

Examples

Los árboles altos asombran el camino en las tardes de verano.

The tall trees shade the path on summer afternoons.

Tu capacidad para aprender idiomas nos va a asombrar a todos.

Your ability to learn languages is going to amaze us all.

Me asombra que todavía no hayas visto esa película.

It amazes me that you still haven't seen that movie.

El gran edificio asombraba la pequeña callejuela.

The large building shaded the small narrow street.

Using 'Asombrar' with Emotions

When you say something amazes you ('Me asombra que...'), the verb in the second part of the sentence needs a special form because you are expressing a feeling or reaction.

The Person Affected

Use 'me, te, le, nos, os, les' to show who is feeling the amazement. For example, 'Le asombra' means 'It amazes him/her'.

Using 'asombrar' for 'to be scared'

Mistake: “Using 'asombrar' when you mean 'to frighten'.”

Correction: While 'asombrar' relates to shadows, in modern Spanish use 'asustar' for being scared. 'Asombrar' is almost always for being impressed or surprised.

esfumar

es-foo-MAHR/esfuˈmaɾ/

verbB2artistic
Employ this word when you are talking about gradually changing or blurring colors or lines, often in drawing or digital art.
A hand smudging the edges of a drawing to make the lines soft and blurry.

Examples

El artista usó un dedo para esfumar los bordes del carbón.

The artist used a finger to shade the edges of the charcoal.

Debes esfumar los bordes del dibujo.

You should blur the edges of the drawing.

El artista esfumó el color azul con el blanco.

The artist shaded the blue color into the white.

Direct Action

In this artistic sense, you don't usually use 'se'. You are doing the action directly to an object, like a drawing.

Confusing darkening with casting shadows

Learners often confuse 'oscurecer' (to darken) with 'asombrar' (to cast a shadow). Remember that 'oscurecer' refers to making something darker in tone, like a paint color, while 'asombrar' literally means to cover with shadow, often used for physical objects blocking light.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.