ruborizarse
verbCEFR B1
What does “ruborizarse” mean in English?
to blush, to go red
to blush, to go red (formal/literary; colloquial equivalent: ponerse rojo / colorado)
Example sentences
Cuando el profesor la llamó a la pizarra sin avisar, se ruborizó y tardó un momento en recomponerse antes de contestar.
When the teacher called her to the board without warning, she blushed and took a moment to collect herself before answering.
Era tan tímido que se ruborizaba con cualquier comentario positivo sobre su trabajo, aunque los halagos fueran completamente merecidos.
He was so shy that he would blush at any positive comment about his work, even though the praise was completely deserved.
Le hice un cumplido sobre su presentación y se ruborizó un poco, lo que me pareció bastante encantador.
I paid her a compliment about her presentation and she blushed a little, which I found quite charming.
How to use it
Ruborizarse means 'to blush' or 'to go red in the face' (from embarrassment, shyness, or flattery). It is a reflexive verb: me ruborizo, te ruborizas, se ruboriza. In everyday speech, the colloquial equivalent is ponerse rojo / ponerse colorado — more common in spoken Spanish, especially among younger speakers. Ruborizarse is more formal or literary. The noun is el rubor (blush, flush). Common triggers: receiving a compliment, being put on the spot, social embarrassment, and attraction contexts.
Common mistake
Ruborizarse is the formal/literary form. In conversational Spanish, ponerse rojo or ponerse colorado are far more common. A learner producing ruborizarse in an essay will be correct; a learner expecting to hear it in a conversation may not recognise ponerse rojo as synonymous. Know both forms and their registers.