decorar
verbIntermediate
What does “decorar” mean in English?
1.to decorate
to decorate (a space — making it attractive through colour, furnishings, and accessories)
2.to decorate
to decorate (a space — making it attractive through colour, furnishings, and accessories)
Example sentences
Decidimos decorar el salón con tonos neutros y plantas naturales, y el resultado fue un ambiente muy acogedor.
We decided to decorate the living room in neutral tones and natural plants, and the result was a very welcoming atmosphere.
Le costó varios meses y mucho esfuerzo decorar el piso a su gusto porque quería que todo quedara perfecto.
It took her several months and a lot of effort to decorate the flat to her taste because she wanted everything to be perfect.
Cuando me mudé al piso nuevo, me di cuenta de que era imposible decorar sin un buen presupuesto y muchas ideas.
When I moved into the new flat, I realised it was impossible to decorate without a good budget and plenty of ideas.
How to use it
Decorar means 'to decorate' — to make a space look attractive through furnishings, colour, plants, and accessories. It is transitive (decorar el salón, decorar las paredes). At B1 it differs from amueblar (to furnish — putting in furniture) and from pintar (to paint — just the walls). Decorar encompasses the full aesthetic dimension. Common collocations: decorar con (to decorate with), decorar a gusto (to decorate to one's taste), redecorar (to redecorate).
Common mistake
Decorar is not the same as pintar (to paint). 'Vamos a pintar el salón' = we're going to paint the living room. 'Vamos a decorar el salón' = we're going to decorate it (a broader process). In British English 'decorating' often means painting/wallpapering — in Spanish, decorar is wider in scope. Use pintar for the specific act of painting walls.
Topics
Related Intermediate words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B1 Nociones especificas.