How to Say "to spy" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to spy” is “espiar” — B1 level.
Examples
Los niños espían a sus padres para ver dónde esconden los dulces.
The children are spying on their parents to see where they hide the candy.
Él cree que el gobierno está espiando su teléfono.
He believes the government is spying on his phone.
No está bien espiar las conversaciones de los demás.
It is not right to snoop on other people's conversations.
The Stress Accent
Unlike the word 'limpiar', 'espiar' gets a written accent on the 'i' in most of its present forms (espío, espíes, etc.). This makes the 'i' sound loud and clear rather than blending into the next vowel.
The Personal 'a'
When you are spying on a specific person or group of people, you must use the word 'a' before them: 'Espío a mi vecino' (I spy on my neighbor).
Don't confuse with 'expiar'
Mistake: “Usar 'espiar' para hablar de pecados.”
Correction: Use 'expiar' (with an x) to mean 'to atone' or 'to make up for a mistake'. Use 'espiar' (with an s) only for watching someone secretly.
Related Translations
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