How to Say "to spill" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to spill” is “derramar” — use 'derramar' when liquids or small, loose items like grains or rice are accidentally tipped over or spread out.
derramar
deh-rrah-MAHRderaˈmaɾ
Examples
Ten cuidado, no derrames el agua.
Be careful, don't spill the water.
Se me derramó el café en la camisa.
I spilled my coffee on my shirt (it happened to me by accident).
El camión derramó toda la arena en la calle.
The truck spilled all the sand on the street.
The 'Accidental' Se
To say 'I spilled the milk' by accident, use 'Se me derramó la leche.' This structure makes it sound like it happened to you, rather than you doing it on purpose.
Spilling the beans
Mistake: “No derrames los frijoles.”
Correction: No cuentes el secreto. 'Derramar' is for physical objects, not for sharing secrets like the English idiom 'spill the beans.'
verter
behr-TEHRbeɾˈteɾ
Examples
Tienes que verter la leche en el tazón con cuidado.
You have to pour the milk into the bowl carefully.
Ella vertió un poco de vino en mi copa.
She poured a bit of wine into my glass.
Al escuchar la noticia, vertió lágrimas de emoción.
Upon hearing the news, she shed tears of emotion.
The 'E' to 'IE' Change
In the present tense, the 'e' in the middle of 'verter' changes to 'ie' whenever that part of the word is stressed. This happens for everyone except 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all' (vosotros).
Verter vs. Echar
While both mean to pour, 'verter' is often used for a controlled movement of liquid or in more formal contexts, whereas 'echar' is used for almost anything from pouring salt to throwing out trash.
Don't forget the stem change
Mistake: “Yo verto el agua.”
Correction: Yo vierto el agua. (The 'e' must change to 'ie' in the present tense).
regar
reh-GAHRreˈɡaɾ
Examples
Los niños regaron sus juguetes por toda la sala.
The children scattered their toys all over the living room.
Ten cuidado, no vayas a regar el café.
Be careful, don't spill the coffee.
La noticia se regó rápidamente por el pueblo.
The news spread quickly through the town.
Using 'se' for Spreading News
When news or rumors spread by themselves, we add 'se' (se regó la noticia), which works like saying 'the news got spread' in English.
Spilling vs. Watering
Mistake: “Regué el agua en la mesa.”
Correction: Derramé el agua en la mesa. (While 'regar' can mean spill in some countries, 'derramar' is more precise for accidental spills on furniture.)
irse
EER-sehˈiɾse
Examples
Se está yendo el gas del globo.
The gas is leaking from the balloon.
Cuidado, la sopa se va por el borde de la olla.
Careful, the soup is spilling over the edge of the pot.
Talking About Accidents
This use of 'irse' is often part of a structure that describes an accident without placing blame. For example, 'Se me fue la leche' is like saying 'The milk got away from me' instead of 'I spilled the milk'.
largar
lar-GARlarˈɣar
Examples
No me puedo creer que lo largaras todo a la policía.
I can't believe you spilled everything to the police.
Si no trabajas bien, el jefe te va a largar.
If you don't work well, the boss is going to fire you.
Empezó a largar chistes sin parar.
He started cracking jokes non-stop.
Action vs. Result
When used for speaking, 'largar' implies that the words came out quickly or without much filter.
Too Formal?
Mistake: “El presidente largó un discurso.”
Correction: Use 'dio' or 'pronunció'. 'Largó' sounds too informal for a president's official speech unless you're being critical.
Confusing 'derramar' with 'verter'
Related Translations
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