Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ahogar | /aoˈɡaɾ/ | |
| afogar | /afoɡaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | alternative form |
The primary meaning is to deprive of life through immersion in liquid. Beyond literal drowning, ahogar can be used figuratively to mean to stifle or choke something, such as a sound (e.g., ahogar un grito to stifle a scream).
Which one should you use?
The form ahogar is transitive, meaning it is used when someone is drowning someone else or something else, such as drowning a sound. In contrast, the reflexive form ahogarse is used to describe a person drowning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the verb Naufragar can be used specifically to refer to drowning in the context of a shipwreck or a nautical accident.
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing the act of a person drowning, you use the reflexive form ahogarse. For example, Me ahogué means 'I drowned', casi se ahoga means 'he/she almost drowned' and estuvo a punto de ahogarse also expresses that someone almost drowned.
How do you pronounce it?
/aoˈɡaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a culinary context, ahogar can refer to simmering vegetables in oil or sauce until they are completely covered.
- In Spanish, the same verb ahogar is used whether a person is drowning in a lake or choking on a piece of food.
- The verb ahogar is used to describe the 'stifling' feeling of a room that is too hot or lacks ventilation, such as saying me ahogo when it is too stuffy.
Examples in context
- Alguien debe salvarlo o se ahogará.Someone needs to save him, or he'll drown.This sentence shows how to use ahogar to predict a person drowning.Tatoeba #1854633 by marcelostockle, translation #680744 by Source_VOA
- No te ahogarás si aprendes a nadar.You won't drown if you learn how to swim.This sentence uses ahogar to show that knowing how to swim prevents drowning.Tatoeba #2525280 by marcelostockle, translation #680743 by Source_VOA
- El niño sabe nadar, así que no se va a ahogar en el agua.The child knows how to swim, so she won't drown in the water.This sentence uses ahogar to describe a child's ability to avoid drowning in water.Tatoeba #1527980 by marcelostockle, translation #918079 by Zifre
- El niño se ahogó en el lagoThe child drowned in the lake
- La víctima murió por inmersión en el ríoThe victim died by drowning in the river
- ¡No te tires al agua sin saber nadar, podrías ahogarte!Don't jump in the water without knowing how to swim, you could drown!
- Ella estuvo a punto de ahogarse en la piscinaShe almost drowned in the pool
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking about water safety at the beach.
- MateoSofía, no nades tan lejos para no ahogar.Sofía, don't swim so far so you don't drown.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, Mateo, soy una experta.Don't worry, Mateo, I am an expert.
- MateoEs peligroso, alguien podría ahogar en este mar.It's dangerous, someone could drown in this sea.
- SofíaTienes razón, nadaré más cerca de la orilla.You're right, I will swim closer to the shore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drown” translations and entries ahogar, afogar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
