revelar
Lemma Details
Translation: to reveal; to disclose; to develop (film); to expose; to divulge; to show
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Revelar comes from Latin 'revelare', which is formed from 're-' (meaning 'back' or 'again') and 'velare' (meaning 'to cover'). So etymologically, it means 'to uncover' or 'to pull back a veil'. This shares the same Latin root as the English word 'reveal'. The connection to veils and covering is helpful to remember both the meaning and spelling.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
No quiero revelar el final de la película.
I don't want to reveal the end of the movie.
El detective reveló la identidad del asesino.
The detective revealed the identity of the murderer.
Antes teníamos que revelar las fotos en un cuarto oscuro.
Before, we had to develop photos in a darkroom.
Los documentos revelan información confidencial.
The documents disclose confidential information.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'reveal' in English - they sound very similar and mean the same thing.
- Picture pulling back a veil (vela in Spanish) to reveal something hidden behind it.
- Re-velar = to un-veil something.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'revelar' is commonly used both in everyday conversation about sharing information and in technical contexts like photography. The photography meaning (to develop film) is becoming less common with digital photography but remains in the language.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'revelar' means 'to reveal' or 'to disclose', 'rebelar' means 'to rebel' or 'to revolt'. They differ by just one letter (v vs. b) and can sound similar in some Spanish dialects where b and v are pronounced almost identically.
Confused word:
Los ciudadanos decidieron rebelarse contra el gobierno.
The citizens decided to rebel against the government.
Notes: In many Spanish-speaking regions, 'b' and 'v' are pronounced almost identically, making these words sound very similar in speech. Pay attention to context to distinguish them.
Mnemonic: ReVelar has a V like 'unveil' (showing something); while reBelarse has a B like 'rebel' (fighting against something).
Explanation: 'Revelar' means 'to reveal' while 'relevar' means 'to relieve' or 'to replace' someone in a position or duty.
This word:
El periodista reveló información clasificada.
The journalist revealed classified information.
Notes: The difference is in the position of the letters 'l' and 'v', which changes the meaning completely.
Mnemonic: ReLevar contains 'lev' which sounds like 'relieve'; ReVelar contains 'vel' which reminds of 'veil' being lifted to reveal something.