A useful word to know when discussing feelings or various other situations is profundo, the Spanish word for deep. Profundo comes from the Latin profundus, which shares the same meaning.
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
As an adjective, profundo must agree with the subject it is describing in both gender and quantity.
- profundo
- profunda
- profundos
- profundas
Ella tenía sentimientos muy profundos por él
She had very deep feelings for him
Profundo is one of many Spanish words that originate from Latin and are similar to old English words with the same root. The English equivalent, profound, comes from the same Latin root, profundus. However, profound is typically used in specific contexts today, unlike deep or profundo, which have broader applications.
As I said above, there are many different situations in which you might need to use the word profundo and below is a list of some examples:
- una reflexión profunda = a profound reflection
- una barranco profundo = a deep ravine
- una herida profunda = a deep wound
- una oscuridad profunda = intense darkness
- un bosque profundo = a deep wood
- sueño profundo = deep sleep
- una tristeza profunda = a deep sadness
- profundo conocimiento = in-depth knowledge
- mar profundo = deep sea
- odio profundo = deep hate
If you want to say something isn’t very deep or shallow, you can do so in a couple of different ways:
- no es profundo = it’s not deep
- poco profundo = shallow
- menos profundo = less deep
¿Cuánto tiene de profundo?
How deep is it?
Finally, there are quite a few words related to or derived from profundo as you can see below:
- profundidad = depth
- profundización = deepening
- profundizar = deepen
- profundímetro = depth gauge
- profundidades = depths
You may also encounter the expression En lo más profundo de mi corazón, which translates to in the deepest part of my heart, commonly used to express sincere and deeply felt emotions. You can also hear Estar en un profundo silencio, meaning to be in deep silence. This expression is used to describe a state of complete and profound quietness, often associated with introspection, contemplation, or the aftermath of a significant event.
