digerir
/dixeˈɾiɾ/
The Spanish verb for 'to digest' is digerir.
The primary meaning of digerir is to separate food in the alimentary canal. In academic or intellectual contexts, one might use more formal alternatives like asimilar or absorber to describe the process of internalizing information.
Meaning: to separate food in the alimentary canal (verb)
Which one should you use?
When speaking figuratively about processing information, asimilar and absorber are formal alternatives to digerir. In Latin America, the verb entender is also commonly used to convey the idea of digesting information.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin American countries, entender can be used to convey the sense of digesting information.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of digerir is digerido. If you need to express that he, she or it digested something in the past, use the third-person singular preterite form digirió.
How do you pronounce it?
/dixeˈɾiɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is traditional to take a paseo digestivo, which is a light walk specifically intended to help the body digerir a heavy meal.
- Spanish uses digerir metaphorically to describe the emotional struggle of processing a shock or bad news, such as saying one cannot digerir a tragedy.
- While digerir describes the biological process, Spanish speakers use the phrase hacer la digestión to describe the general act of aiding that process.
Examples in context
- Es importante que asimiles todos los conceptos clave antes del examen.It's important that you digest all the key concepts before the exam.
- El estudiante absorbió rápidamente el contenido del libro.The student quickly digested the content of the book.
- Me cuesta pillar lo que dices.I find it hard to digest what you're saying.
- Es necesario que aprendas a digerir la información de manera adecuada.It's necessary that you learn to digest information properly.
- Mi hermano tiene problemas para digerir las críticas.My brother struggles to digest criticism.
- El cuerpo necesita tiempo para digerir la comida.The body needs time to digest food.
- El cuerpo tarda tiempo en digerir las grasas.The body takes time to digest fats.
- Es difícil digerir comida pesada antes de dormir.It is difficult to digest heavy food before sleeping.
- Necesito algo para ayudarme a digerir la cena.I need something to help me digest dinner.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are having dinner at a restaurant.
- AlejandroEsta carne es muy dura de digerir.This meat is very hard to digest.
- SofíaTienes razón, Alejandro, es un poco pesada.You are right, Alejandro, it is a bit heavy.
- Alejandro¿Quieres un té para ayudar con la digestión?Do you want a tea to help with digestion?
- SofíaSí, sería ideal para digerir mejor.Yes, it would be ideal to digest better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “digest” translations and entries digerir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
