How to Say "to suck" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to suck” is “apestar” — use 'apestar' when you want to say that something is extremely bad, of very poor quality, or generally unpleasant, similar to the English slang 'to suck'..
apestar
/ah-peh-STAR//apesˈtaɾ/
Examples
Este café apesta, ¡no lo volveré a comprar!
This coffee sucks, I won't buy it again!
Esta película apesta, vámonos del cine.
This movie sucks, let's leave the theater.
Mi conexión a internet apesta hoy.
My internet connection is awful today.
Tener que trabajar los domingos apesta.
Having to work on Sundays sucks.
Metaphorical use
Just like in English, words for 'smelling bad' are often used to mean something is of 'low quality'.
Using it in formal writing
Mistake: “La situación económica apesta.”
Correction: La situación económica es muy preocupante. Avoid using 'apestar' in professional settings as it sounds like slang.
chupar
/choo-PAHR//t͡ʃuˈpaɾ/
Examples
Me gusta chupar caramelos duros.
I like to suck on hard candies.
El bebé se chupa el pulgar cuando tiene sueño.
The baby sucks his thumb when he is sleepy.
No te chupes los dedos, usa una servilleta.
Don't lick your fingers, use a napkin.
A los niños les gusta chupar caramelos de fresa.
Children like to suck on strawberry candies.
Doing it to yourself
When talking about sucking your own body part (like a thumb), you must add 'se' before the verb: 'Él SE chupa el dedo'.
Talking about body parts
In Spanish, we say 'el dedo' (the finger) rather than 'mi dedo' (my finger) when using this verb, because the 'se' already tells us whose finger it is.
Forgetting the 'se'
Mistake: “El niño chupa el dedo.”
Correction: El niño se chupa el dedo. Use 'se' to show the child is sucking his own finger.
mamar
/mah-MAHR//maˈmaɾ/
Examples
El ternero mama de su madre.
The calf nurses from its mother.
El bebé necesita mamar cada tres horas.
The baby needs to nurse every three hours.
Vimos a los perritos mamando de su madre.
We saw the puppies suckling from their mother.
El ternero dejó de mamar ayer.
The calf stopped nursing yesterday.
Biological Direction
'Mamar' is what the baby does (taking milk). To describe what the mother does (giving milk), use 'amamantar' or 'dar de mamar'.
Standard -AR Pattern
This verb follows the exact same patterns as 'hablar.' If you know one, you know the other!
Who is doing the action?
Mistake: “La madre está mamando.”
Correction: La madre está amamantando (or dando de mamar). 'Mamar' is the action of the one receiving the milk.
Slang vs. Physical Action
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