soplar
verbCEFR B2
What does “soplar” mean in English?
to blow
to blow (wind, breath, instrument — el viento sopla; soplar las velas)
Example sentences
Aquella noche el viento soplaba con tal intensidad que las persianas no dejaban de golpear contra la pared.
That night the wind blew with such intensity that the shutters kept banging against the wall.
La niña sopló con fuerza las velas del pastel y las apagó todas de una vez entre los aplausos de los presentes.
The girl blew out the birthday candles forcefully and extinguished them all at once to the applause of those present.
El maestro afinaba la flauta antes de soplar las primeras notas de la melodía.
The teacher tuned the flute before blowing the first notes of the melody.
How to use it
Soplar means 'to blow' — wind blowing, a person blowing out candles, blowing into an instrument. It is intransitive when describing wind (el viento sopla) and transitive when a person blows something specific (sopló las velas — blew out the candles). In informal speech, soplar can also mean 'to snitch/grass' (to inform on someone) and 'to whisper an answer' to someone in an exam. At B2, the literal weather/physical sense and the formal writing contexts are primary. Key collocation: el viento sopla + adverb of direction/intensity.
Common mistake
Soplar is intransitive for wind (el viento sopla) but transitive for deliberate human blowing (sopló las velas — he blew out the candles). Don't confuse with resoplar (to snort, puff with exertion) or bufar (to snort angrily). In musical contexts, soplar is used for all wind instruments. The colloquial 'to snitch' sense (soplar a alguien) is worth knowing for receptive comprehension but should be flagged as informal/colloquial.