canturrear

to hum

verb kahn-too-rreh-AHR Rare

Also means

to croon softly

Usage Note

Canturrear is a frequentative-diminutive of cantar ('to sing'), conveying the idea of singing softly or absentmindedly under one's breath. It is a regular -ar verb in conjugation. The closely related tararear shares the same meaning but is perhaps more common in Spain, while canturrear is frequent across Latin America.

Examples

"La niña canturreaba mientras dibujaba."

Natural Translation

The girl was humming while she drew.

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