incendiarse
/inθendjaɾse/from spelling rules
To catch fire in Spanish is to say incendiarse.
incendiarse is used to describe something becoming engulfed in flames. For a more formal way to express the concept of igniting into flames, you can use the phrase Encenderse en llamas.
Meaning: become engulfed in flames (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
incendiarse is a reflexive verb, which means it describes an action that happens to the subject itself. For example, the past tense form is se incendió (it caught fire) and the future tense form is se incendiará (it will catch fire).
How do you pronounce it?
/inθendjaɾse/
Did you know?
- When describing a person who 'caught fire' with anger, Spanish speakers often prefer the phrase le hirvió la sangre (their blood boiled) rather than using terms for combustion.
- The root of incendiarse is shared with the English word 'incendiary', but in Spanish, incendio is the standard everyday word for a house or forest fire.
- In Spanish, if a person catches fire, it is more common to say quemarse (to get burned) than incendiarse, as the latter is typically reserved for buildings or forests.
Examples in context
- El bosque se incendió rápidamente.The forest caught fire quickly.
- Ten cuidado, la grasa podría incendiarse.Be careful, the grease could catch fire.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are in the kitchen.
- AlejandroLucía, ¡apaga la estufa ahora mismo!Lucía, turn off the stove right now!
- Lucía¡Ay no! El trapo se empezó a incendiarse.Oh no! The rag started to catch fire.
- AlejandroUsa el extintor rápido, por favor.Use the extinguisher quickly, please.
- LucíaYa está, ya apagué el fuego.It's okay, I already put out the fire.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
