Spanish Physical Sensations & Perceptions in Spanish

Explore a collection of Spanish words related to physical sensations and perceptions. Ideal learning resource for beginners.

agotarse
exhausting

The Spanish word 'agotarse' translates to 'exhausting' in English. It is frequently used to describe a state of extreme tiredness or fatigue, either physical or mental. Often, it relates to the condition of being so used up or worn out that one cannot continue. Most commonly, one could use 'agotarse' in the context of describing one's energy levels, resources or patience.

caerse de sueño
fall asleep

The Spanish phrase 'caerse de sueño' translates to 'fall asleep' in English. It is an idiomatic expression used to indicate extreme tiredness or drowsiness that leads to falling asleep. The literal translation of 'caerse de sueño' is 'to fall from sleep', which captures the sense of succumbing to sleep due to extensive fatigue.

cansarse
tired

The word 'cansarse' in Spanish is a verb and it refers to the process of becoming tired or weary. It doesn't uniquely mean 'tired' as a state, but suggests a gradual progression towards that state. For instance, when you slowly become tired after a long day of work, you would use 'cansarse' to express that sensation in Spanish.

cerrársele a uno los ojos
to close one's eyes

The phrase 'cerrársele a uno los ojos' is a Spanish expression that translates to 'to close one's eyes' in English. It is often used in the context where someone is so tired that they can hardly keep their eyes open, or when someone doesn't want to see or face something in a metaphorical sense. This phrase highlights the flexibility and expressiveness of Spanish language much like idioms in English.

dar calor
heat

The Spanish phrase 'dar calor' translates to 'to give heat' in English. However, it's also used idiomatically to express the idea of making a place or situation uncomfortably or unpleasantly warm. To understand its use in context, let's consider this sentence - 'El sol daba calor a la habitación', which translates to 'The sun was heating up the room'. In this usage, it's not about transferring heat, but rather the sun causing the room to become warm.

dar náuseas
nausea

The Spanish term 'dar náuseas' is an idiomatic expression that literally translates to 'give nausea'. However, it is usually used to denote the act of feeling nauseous or to express that something is causing nausea. For instance, 'This smell gives me nausea' could be translated as 'Este olor me da náuseas'. In certain contexts, it could also be used to express strong dislike or discomfort towards something or someone.

dar sed
thirst

The Spanish phrase 'dar sed' translates to 'give thirst' in English. However, in usage, it is often used in the same context we use 'thirst' or 'to be thirsty'. It is primarily used to express a need or desire for a drink due to dehydration, often after physical exertion. As many idioms and phrases, the literal translation may not always make sense, but it is a commonly used phrase in Spanish speaking regions to indicate thirst.

dar un dolor
give a pain

The Spanish phrase 'dar un dolor' directly translates to 'give a pain' in English. However, it's used more broadly to mean causing discomfort or distress to someone, both physically and emotionally. Metaphorically, it can be used to denote posing a problem or causing trouble in various situations.

dar un pinchazo
give a shot

The Spanish phrase 'dar un pinchazo' translates to 'give a shot' in English. It is commonly used in medical contexts, such as when a doctor or nurse administers a shot or injection to a patient. However, it can also be used to describe the act of quickly piercing something with a sharp object. The phrase is a combination of 'dar' (give), 'un' (a), and 'pinchazo' (pinch or poke), thus creating the meaning of giving a poke or a shot.

doler el cuello
hurt the neck

The Spanish phrase 'doler el cuello' translates into English as 'hurt the neck'. This phrase is often used to express the feeling of pain or discomfort in the neck area. It may be used in various contexts such as describing a physical injury or strain, or metaphorically to express bearing a burden or responsibility that is causing strain or stress.

doler la cabeza
hurt your head

The Spanish phrase 'doler la cabeza' translates to 'hurt your head' in English. In this case, 'doler' means 'hurt' and 'la cabeza' means 'the head'. This phrase might be used to describe a situation where someone is experiencing a headache or physical discomfort on the head.

encontrarse bien
find yourself well.

The Spanish phrase 'encontrarse bien' is typically used to express a state of well-being in English. This phrase is typically translated as 'find yourself well', signifying that one is in a good state of health or feeling well. However, it can also be interpreted in different contexts to indicate a sense of comfort, satisfaction, or general wellness. As with many idioms or phrases in different languages, the meaning can often be subjective and dependent on the context in which it is used.

encontrarse de pena
found guilty

'Encontrarse de pena' is a Spanish phrase that translates to 'found guilty' in English. It is commonly used in legal terms when someone is confirmed by a court or a judge as being guilty of the crime they were accused of. This is an essential phrase in understanding Spanish legal jargon and is commonly used in Spanish speaking courts and among lawyers.

encontrarse fatal
find it fatal.

'Encontrarse fatal' is a Spanish expression that does not directly translate to 'find it fatal' in English. Instead, it is an idiomatic phrase often used to express feeling very sick or feeling terrible. When someone says 'encontrarse fatal', they are expressing that they are not in a good health condition or they feel very bad physically or emotionally.

encontrarse fatigado
get fatigued

The Spanish phrase 'encontrarse fatigado' translates to 'get fatigued' in English. It is typically used to express the notion of becoming or feeling tired or exhausted, either physically or mentally. The verb 'encontrarse' is a reflexive form of 'encontrar' meaning 'to find'. When used in the reflexive form with an adjective like 'fatigado', it portrays an emotional or physical state. Hence, 'encontrarse fatigado' means to find oneself in a state of fatigue or tiredness.

encontrarse hecho polvo
found powder

'Encontrarse hecho polvo' is a Spanish phrase that, unlike a direct translation would suggest, does not mean 'found powder' in English. Instead, this is an idiomatic expression which is used colloquially to indicate that someone is extremely tired or worn out. It could also be used when a person is feeling devastated or emotionally drained. Hence, it is the equivalent of English phrases such as 'feeling run down' or 'feeling exhausted'.

encontrarse mal
find yourself ill.

The Spanish phrase 'encontrarse mal' translates to 'find yourself ill' in English. It's a way to express that you're not feeling well or that you're sick. This can refer to physical illness, such as a cold or flu, but could also be used to refer to feeling unwell emotionally or mentally.

estar (sordo) como una tapia
being (sorted) as a plug

The phrase 'estar (sordo) como una tapia' in Spanish is an idiomatic expression that is translated as 'being (deaf) as a post' in English. This phrase is used to describe someone who is extremely hard of hearing or is not paying attention to what is being said. It is similar to the English phrases 'deaf as a post' or 'turning a deaf ear'. Please note, this phrase is not literal and using it requires understanding of the context.

estar agotado
to be exhausted

The Spanish phrase 'estar agotado' translates to 'to be exhausted' in English. It is often used to express extreme tiredness, both physical and mental. The phrase literal conjunction is 'estar' which means 'to be' in a situational context and 'agotado', an adjective that means 'exhausted' or 'drained'. In use, for example: 'Estoy agotado' would mean 'I am exhausted'.

estar bien
to be okay.

The Spanish phrase 'estar bien' translates to 'to be okay' in English. It's a common phrase used to express the state of feeling well, either emotionally or physically, or to express acceptance or satisfaction with a situation or condition. Depending on the context, it can also be used to imply general well-being, normality, or correctness.

estar cansado
Being tired

The Spanish phrase 'estar cansado' translates to 'being tired' in English. It is a combination of the verb 'estar' which means 'to be' in a temporary or changing state, and 'cansado' which means 'tired'. Thus, when you say 'estar cansado', you are referring to a temporary state or condition of being tired.

estar congelado
to be frozen

The Spanish phrase 'estar congelado' can be translated into English as 'to be frozen'. It is often used to describe conditions related to temperature, such as frozen food or freezing weather. Additionally, it can also be used metaphorically to illustrate situations where someone or something appears to be immobilized, stuck in place or unable to move.

estar fatigado
being fatigued

The Spanish term 'estar fatigado' translates to 'being fatigued' in English. It is commonly used to describe a state of physical or mental exhaustion due to exertion, stress or lack of rest. As an example, when someone has had a long day at work or school, they could say 'Estoy fatigado', which means 'I am fatigued'.

estar hambriento
starving

The term 'estar hambriento' in Spanish directly translates to 'to be hungry' in English. However, the term is often used to express a deep hunger or, in some contexts, a state of starvation. It's utilized in the conversation to say 'I'm hungry' which can be 'Estoy hambriento' if it's a male and 'Estoy hambrienta' if it's a female. Please note, 'estar' is used here because it's referring to a temporary state.

estar hecho polvo
being made dust

The Spanish phrase 'estar hecho polvo' is a colloquial idiomatic expression in English it translates literally to 'to be made dust'. However, that is not its figurative meaning. Instead, it is commonly used to mean when someone is extremely tired or exhausted, both physically and emotionally. It could also mean to be destroyed or ruined in certain contexts.

estar helado
Being iced.

The Spanish phrase 'estar helado' translates to 'being iced' in English. Within a context, it could typically be used to express the chilly sensation one feels when extremely cold, similar to being frozen or 'iced'. It is important to remember that many phrases like this one can be more figurative and context-specific, rather than literal translations.

estar mareado
be dizzy

The phrase 'estar mareado' in Spanish translates to 'be dizzy' in English. This is generally used to express a feeling of imbalance or a spinning sensation which can be because of various reasons such as sickness, a fast circular motion, or a sudden movement. In Spanish, it's a condition often accompanied by the verb 'estar' which suggests a temporary state or feeling. A person might use this phrase to describe their health condition at that moment.

estar muerto
dead.

The Spanish phrase 'estar muerto' directly translates to 'to be dead' in English. This phrase is used to describe a state of being, specifically when someone or something is dead. Unlike English, Spanish often uses the verb 'estar' to describe temporary states, implying that, philosophically, death is seen as a temporary or changing state. It's an interesting linguistic insight into Spanish-speaking cultures.

estar sediento
to be thirsty

The Spanish phrase 'estar sediento' translates to 'to be thirsty' in English. This phrase is used when someone feels the need to drink something. It's used in the same way as it would be in English. For example, after a long run or on a hot day, one might say 'Estoy sediento', which means 'I am thirsty'.

estar tiritando (de frío)
to be shivering (cold)

The Spanish phrase 'estar tiritando (de frío)' translates to 'to be shivering (cold)' in English. This is generally used to express a lack of warmth resulting in uncontrollable shaking of the body, which is a typical physiological response to cold in humans and many other animals. It can be used both in literal sense, as in the physical state of being cold, and figuratively, to express fear, nervousness, or anticipation.

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