Spanish word

espirar

Pronunciation

IPA/espiˈɾaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbbreathe out

Example

Termina el ejercicio y espira lentamente.

Complete the exercise and breathe out slowly.

Illustration for espirar (breathe out)

More examples

Para calmarte, cierra los ojos y espira varias veces.

To calm yourself, close your eyes and breathe out several times.

Core concept

A breath expelled from the lungs.

Common phrases

  • espirar varias veces

    breathe out several times

  • espirar suavemente

    breathe out gently

Similar words

soplar: Blows air from the mouth in a forceful, directed stream to move objects, cool, or make sound.
exhalar: Breathes out air from the lungs through the mouth or nose in common or casual speech.
inhalar: Draws air into the lungs through the mouth or nose.

Definition in Spanish

Emitir aire desde los pulmones hacia afuera al realizar una acción respiratoria.

Word origin

Built from Latin ex- 'out' plus spirare 'to breathe' via exspirare, so espirar denotes the act of exhaling.

Usage tips

  • In medical or descriptive contexts espirar commonly pairs with inspirar as the opposite of 'inhale', while in casual speech exhalar or echar el aire are the more natural choices.

Opposites

Related words

  • espiraciónexhalationnoun

Word lists with this word