Spanish Conversation · Level 162
29 words
Spanish word
calar
Pronunciation
IPA/kaˈlaɾ/
Meaning
- verbsoak into
Example
La humedad cala la madera.
The humidity soaks into the wood.
More examples
La lluvia me caló hasta los huesos.
The rain soaked me to the bone.
Core concept
A material soaked through so moisture reaches its core.
Common phrases
calar hasta los huesos
soak to the bone
calar la ropa
soak into clothes
calar la madera
soak into wood
Similar words
mojar: Covers or wets the outer surface of an item, creating surface wetness.
empapar: Drenches and saturates an item thoroughly so it is soaked through.
humedecer: Adds a small amount of moisture to make something feel slightly damp.
penetrar: Moves into a substance's depth as liquid penetrates its inner parts.
Definition in Spanish
Hacer que la humedad atraviese y empape un objeto, a veces usado luego en sentido figurado.
Word origin
Attested in medieval Spanish, calar developed as a verb for moisture penetrating materials and later acquired figurative senses, while its older origin is uncertain.
Usage tips
- Unlike mojar, calar emphasizes that the wetting goes through the object and often appears with reflexive or dative constructions (se me caló el abrigo) when clothing or people get soaked.