llorar

Llorar is a Spanish verb meaning to cry or weep, the act of shedding tears in response to emotions such as sadness, pain, fear, relief, or joy. It is used to describe both physical tears and emotional crying, and appears in phrases like llorar por alguien (to cry for someone), llorar de tristeza (to cry from sadness), or llorar de risa (to cry with laughter). The expression llorar a lágrima viva emphasizes intense emotion.

The verb is regular in the -ar conjugation. In the present tense: lloro, lloras, llora, lloramos, lloráis, lloran. In the preterite: lloré, lloraste, lloró, lloramos, llorasteis, lloraron. The imperfect: lloraba, llorabas, lloraba, llorábamos, llorabais, lloraban. The future: lloraré, llorarás, llorará, lloraremos, lloraréis, llorarán. The present subjunctive: llore, llores, llore, lloren, lloremos, lloren. The imperative forms include llora (tú), no llores; llore (usted); llorad (vosotros); lloren (ustedes); lloremos (nosotros). The gerund is llorando and the past participle is llorado. Llorar is intransitive in most uses, typically taking prepositional phrases rather than a direct object.

Common expressions and nuances include llorar de alegría (to cry with joy), llorar de risa (to cry with laughter), and llorar por una pérdida. In literature, cinema, and music, llorar frequently appears as a straightforward marker of emotional response, reflecting its status as a core verb in describing human affect.

Etymology traces to the Spanish vocabulary of the Romance family; related terms exist in other Romance languages describing the act of crying.