abanicar

to fan

verb ah-bah-nee-KAHR Rare

Origin: From abanico (fan)

Usage Note

Abanicar means to wave a fan at someone or to fan oneself; the reflexive abanicarse is used when you fan yourself. The verb follows the -car spelling pattern, changing c to qu before e in conjugation (e.g. abaniqué). It is associated with hot weather and the traditional Spanish hand fan (abanico).

Examples

"Se abanicó con el programa de la misa."

Natural Translation

She fanned herself with the church programme.

Literal Translation

Herself fanned with the programme of the mass.

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