Whenever you walk past someone on the street, it’s always nice to greet them with a friendly smile, which translates to sonrisa in Spanish. If you have trouble remembering this word, I find it helps to mentally associate it with the word sunrise, as they sound so similar!
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
The term is derived from the Latin term subrisa, which is a conjugation of the verb subrideo, the combination of sub, meaning under, and rideo, which means to laugh.
Sonrisa is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- la sonrisa = the smile
- una sonrisa = a smile
- las sonrisas = the smiles
- unas sonrisas = some smiles
Below are some common verbs you will see used with sonrisa:
- tener la sonrisa en los labios = to have a smile on one’s face
- esbozar una sonrisa = to smile slightly
- forzar una sonrisa = to crack a smile, force a smile
- sacar una sonrisa = to get a smile (out of someone), make someone smile
- dibujar una sonrisa = to bring a smile (to someone’s face)
- ofrecer una sonrisa = to give a smile / grin
- no perder la sonrisa = to keep smiling (literally “to not lose one’s smile”)
Su sonrisa era muy hermosa.
Her smile was very beautiful.
Smiles come in various shapes and sizes, conveying different emotions depending on the wearer’s mood. Below are just a few types of smiles you’ll come across in Spanish.
- sonrisa falsa = fake smile
- sonrisa cómplice = knowing smile
- sonrisa radiante = bright smile
- sonrisa controlada = subdued smile
- sonrisa burlona / amarga = wry smile
- sonrisa encantadora = winning smile
- sonrisa forzada = forced smile
Now that we are familiar with the noun sonrisa, let’s take a quick look at the verb sonreír. Here is how it conjugates in the present tense:
- Yo sonrío = I smile
- Tú sonríes = You smile (informal)
- Usted sonríe = You smile (formal)
- El/Ella sonríe = He/She smiles
- Nosotros sonreímos = We smile
- Vosotros sonreís = You smile (plural)
- Ustedes sonríen = You smile (plural)
- Ellos/Ellas sonríen = They smile
In order to say to smile at someone, you need to use the preposition a (to) or ante (before / in front of). The verb appears in the idiomatic expression sonreír de oreja a oreja, which means to smile from ear to ear.
Él está sonriendo al lindo bebé.
He is smiling at the cute baby.
To say that someone is smiling or smiley, you can use the adjective sonriente.
We are all familiar with the smiley face emoji – 😊 – but did you know that it is called a carita sonriente in Spanish? That being said, you’ll also hear the English word smiley, pronounced with a Spanish accent, of course!
