ablandar

To soften — literally (ablandar la carne, to tenderize meat) and figuratively (ablandar el corazón/la postura, to soften someone's heart or stance). A common, everyday verb with both a kitchen sense and an emotional one.

• Deja la carne en adobo para ablandarla. — Leave the meat in marinade to tenderize it.
• Sus lágrimas ablandaron a su padre. — Her tears softened her father's resolve.
• El calor ablanda la mantequilla rápidamente. — Heat softens butter quickly.

Learners sometimes use suavizar interchangeably, but ablandar implies a real change from hard/firm to soft (texture or resolve), while suavizar leans toward smoothing or moderating something already somewhat soft — e.g., suavizar el tono (soften one's tone) vs. ablandar el corazón (soften one's heart).

Often confused with suavizar.

• expression "Ablandar el corazón" — A common fixed expression meaning to soften someone's resolve or move them emotionally — used across the Spanish-speaking world for everything from persuading a stubborn parent to religious calls to compassion.