cantar

Senses

1. 1.

   to sing

   to produce musical sounds with the voice

2. 2.

   to chant; to recite

   to speak or recite in a rhythmic, song-like manner

3. 3.

   to inform on; to confess

   to reveal secrets or confess under pressure (colloquial/slang)

Examples

• "Mi hermana canta muy bien en el coro."

  My sister sings very well in the choir.

• "Los monjes cantaban salmos en la iglesia."

  The monks were chanting psalms in the church.

• "Si lo interrogan, seguro que canta."

  If they interrogate him, he'll definitely confess/spill the beans.

Usage

The primary sense is "to sing," used across all registers. The third sense (to confess/inform) is informal and often appears in crime contexts. Common phrases include "cantar a gritos" (to shout), "cantar las cuarenta" (to tell someone home truths), and "cantar de plano" (to confess completely).