Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Deep in Spanish: Profundo

Profundo · adjective · proh-FOON-doh

Deep in Spanish is profundo, an adjective that works for both physical depth and figurative meanings like deep thoughts or deep sleep.

Profundo is pronounced proh-FOON-doh, with stress on the second syllable.

El lago es muy profundo en esta parte.

The lake is very deep in this part.

Deep in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for deep, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

SpanishEnglishPronunciationRegion / Register
profundodeepproh-FOON-dohDefault, widely understood
hondodeepinformal or conversational

How Native Speakers Use Profundo

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Physical depth

No nades aquí, el agua es demasiado profunda.

Don't swim here, the water is too deep.

Warning about water depth.

Figurative meaning

Tuvimos una conversación muy profunda anoche.

We had a very deep conversation last night.

Describing meaningful dialogue.

Deep sleep

Estaba en un sueño tan profundo que no oí la alarma.

I was in such a deep sleep that I didn't hear the alarm.

Describing quality of sleep.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Profundo

Forgetting gender agreement

Incorrect: La piscina es muy profundo.

Correct: La piscina es muy profunda.

Profundo must agree with the feminine noun piscina, becoming profunda.

Using profundo for deep as in color

Incorrect: Un azul profundo.

Correct: Un azul intenso / un azul oscuro.

For deep colors, Spanish typically uses intenso or oscuro rather than profundo.

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See Profundo used by native speakers

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Common Questions About Deep in Spanish

How do you say deep in Spanish?
The Spanish word for deep is profundo (proh-FOON-doh), which changes to profunda when modifying a feminine noun.
What is the difference between profundo and hondo?
Profundo works in both literal and figurative contexts, while hondo is more colloquial and primarily used for physical depth, as in the expression en lo más hondo (in the deepest part).
How do you say deep breath in Spanish?
A deep breath is respiración profunda or respiro profundo, and the instruction to take a deep breath is respira hondo or respira profundo.