sonar
Spanish, noun
sonar is spelled S-O-N-A-R (5 letters) and appears 12 times per million words in written Spanish, the 6,155th most frequent Spanish word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Sonar is a Spanish masculine noun meaning “sonar (a device that uses hydrophones to locate objects underwater)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). With a tilde, soñar is a different word: “to dream”. With an accent, sónar is a different word: “alternative form of sonar; sonar (a device that uses hydrophones to…”. The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Aparato electroacústico que detecta la presencia y la distancia de objetos sumergidos a través de ondas que…”.
What does sonar mean in English?
verb
- 1
to sound, to ring
- 2
to sound (appear)
Suena como que ya te has decidido.
- 3
to ring a bell, to be familiar
Me suena el nombre, pero no lo ubico.
- 4
to make sound, to play
sonar la bocina
- 5
to blow (one's nose)
Despues de estornudar, me soné la nariz.
noun
- 1
masculinesonar (a device that uses hydrophones to locate objects underwater)
verb
- 1
to dream
- 2
colloquialto knock someone out.
noun
- 1
masculinealternative form of sonar; sonar (a device that uses hydrophones to locate objects underwater)
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
verb: 1. Ver o experimentar acontecimientos imaginarios, en la mente y durante el sueño. 2. Razonar de forma fantasiosa dando por cierto lo que no lo es. 3. Tener miedo de la venganza de alguien.
verb: 1. Tener el deseo intenso de algo. Soñar con grandezas
verb: 1. Producir o causar sonido o ruido. 2. Tener una letra valor fónico. 3. Mencionarse, citarse. 4. Tener una cosa visos o apariencias de algo.
verb: 1. Tocar o tañer una cosa para que suene con arte y armonía. 2. Limpiar de mocos las narices, haciéndolos salir con una espiración violenta. 3. Esparcirse algún rumor. 4. Golpear, dar un puñetazo a otra persona.
noun: 1. Aparato electroacústico que detecta la presencia y la distancia de objetos sumergidos a través de ondas que se emiten y se hacen reflejar en el objetivo, similar a como funciona un radar.
noun: 1. Variante poco usada de sonar (instrumento).
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of sonar
- sueno first-person present singular
- soné first-person preterite singular
- sonado participle past
- o-ue alternation
- sonando gerund
- sonada feminine participle past
- sonados masculine participle past
- sonadas feminine participle past
- suenas indicative informal present
- sonás indicative informal present
- suena indicative present singular
- sonamos first-person indicative plural
- sonáis indicative plural present
- suenan indicative plural present
- sonaba first-person imperfect indicative
- sonabas imperfect indicative second-person
- sonábamos first-person imperfect indicative
- sonabais imperfect indicative plural
Source: English Wiktionary and Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to sonar
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is sonar in Spanish?
sonar appears 12 times per million words in written Spanish.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).