Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Shave in Spanish: Afeitar
Afeitar · verb · ah-fay-TAHR
Afeitar (or its reflexive form afeitarse) is the standard Spanish verb for shaving facial hair or body hair. In Mexico and Central America, rasurar is equally common and preferred in everyday speech. The verb is almost always used reflexively (me afeito, te afeitas) since people typically shave themselves.
Say ah-fay-TAHR with stress on the final syllable. The 'ei' diphthong sounds like the 'ay' in 'day.'
Me afeito todas las mañanas antes de ir al trabajo.
I shave every morning before going to work.
shave in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for shave, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| afeitar | shave | ah-fay-TAHR | Default, widely understood |
| rasurar | shave | Mexico and Central America |
How Native Speakers Use Afeitar
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
morning routine
Se afeita la barba con una navaja de doble filo.
He shaves his beard with a double-edge razor.
Afeitarse la barba is the standard expression.
Mexican usage
Necesito rasurarme las piernas antes de ir a la playa.
I need to shave my legs before going to the beach.
Rasurarse is standard in Mexico for all body hair removal.
barbershop
El barbero lo afeitó con espuma caliente y una navaja clásica.
The barber shaved him with hot foam and a classic straight razor.
Non-reflexive afeitar is used when someone else does the shaving.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Afeitar
forgetting reflexive
Incorrect: Afeito cada mañana antes del desayuno.
Correct: Me afeito cada mañana antes del desayuno.
When you shave yourself, the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se) is required — dropping it makes the sentence sound incomplete and grammatically unnatural.
confusing afeitar with cortar
Incorrect: Me corté la barba con la rasuradora.
Correct: Me rasuré la barba con la rasuradora.
Cortar means 'to cut' and implies trimming or cutting off, while rasurar/afeitar specifically means shaving close to the skin with a blade.
Lock in shave Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
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See Afeitar used by native speakers
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Common Questions About shave in Spanish
- What is the difference between afeitar and rasurar?
- Afeitar and rasurar are synonyms with regional preferences — afeitar dominates in Spain and most of South America, while rasurar is the everyday word in Mexico and Central America. Both mean to shave and can be used reflexively.
- How do I say 'razor' in Spanish?
- A razor can be called navaja (straight razor), cuchilla de afeitar (razor blade), rasuradora (electric shaver in Mexico), or maquinilla de afeitar (safety razor, especially in Spain). The term depends on the type of razor.
- Is afeitar used for shaving legs too?
- Afeitarse las piernas is grammatically correct and understood, though in many Latin American countries depilarse (to remove hair) is more commonly used for leg and body hair removal regardless of method.