ocultar
Lemma Details
Translation: to hide; to conceal; to cover up; to mask; to obscure
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Ocultar comes from Latin 'occultare', which means 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. This Latin verb is the frequentative form of 'occulere' (to cover over), which derives from 'ob' (over) + 'celare' (to hide). The English word 'occult' shares this same Latin root, referring to knowledge that is hidden or secret. The connection between 'ocultar' and 'occult' highlights how both languages preserved the concept of concealment from their Latin origins.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 40%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'occult' in English, which refers to hidden or secret knowledge.
- The 'ocul' part sounds like 'ocular' (related to eyes) – imagine hiding something from view or from your eyes.
- Picture an 'ocular patch' that hides or covers an eye.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of 'ocultar' extends beyond physical hiding to emotional concealment. There's a cultural understanding about when to hide emotions ('ocultar sentimientos') in public settings versus expressing them in private or family contexts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'ocultar' means 'to hide', 'consultar' means 'to consult' or 'to ask for advice'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
This word:
Decidió ocultar su enfermedad a la familia.
He decided to hide his illness from the family.
Confused word:
Decidió consultar a un especialista sobre su enfermedad.
He decided to consult a specialist about his illness.
Notes: The verbs have different conjugation patterns in some tenses, with 'ocultar' following regular -ar patterns and 'consultar' doing the same but with a different meaning.
Mnemonic: 'Ocultar' has 'ocul' like 'occult' (hidden), while 'consultar' has 'consult' like in English (to seek advice).
Explanation: 'Ocultar' means 'to hide' while 'escuchar' means 'to listen'. They both end in '-tar' but have completely different meanings and uses.
Notes: Both are common -ar verbs but relate to completely different senses: hiding (visual) versus listening (auditory).
Mnemonic: 'Escuchar' starts with 'escu-' which sounds like 'school' where you listen, while 'ocultar' starts with 'ocul-' which sounds like 'occult' (hidden).