chapuzar
/t͡ʃapuˈθaɾ/
The English verb 'dunk' (to submerge briefly in a liquid) is translated into Spanish as chapuzar. Wiktionary also lists zapuzar.
Meaning: to submerge briefly in a liquid (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| chapuzar | /t͡ʃapuˈθaɾ/ /t͡ʃapuˈsaɾ/ |
| zapuzar | /θapuθaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sapusaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
The verb refers to the action of briefly submerging something in a liquid, similar to the English sense of 'dip'. It is important to distinguish this from the basketball term, which uses different words such as mate, donqueo or volcada.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃapuˈθaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a figurative sense, chapuzar can be used to describe doing a job carelessly or sloppily. A chapuza is a botched piece of work or a 'botch-job'.
- The verb chapuzar comes from a Latin root meaning 'to go into a well or pit'. It originally described the movement of falling into a deep, hollow space before it became a term for splashing in water.
- In Spain, a basketball dunk is called a mate, but in Latin America, this word often refers to a traditional caffeine-rich drink.
Examples in context
- El jugador realizó una espectacular clavada durante el partido.The player performed a spectacular dunk during the game.
- Anoche vimos una clavada impresionante en el concurso de mates.Last night we witnessed an impressive dunk in the slam dunk contest.
- El jugador anotó una exquisita enterrada en el último cuarto.The player scored a superb dunk in the final quarter.
- La multitud estalló en aplausos tras esa increíble enterrada.The crowd erupted in applause after that amazing dunk.
- ¿Viste el mate que hizo LeBron en el partido de anoche?Did you see the dunk LeBron made in last night's game?
- Ese jugador tiene un increíble salto para hacer mates.That player has an incredible jump to perform dunks.
- Las volcadas de ese jugador son legendarias en la liga.That player's dunks are legendary in the league.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are at the beach.
- ElenaEl agua se ve muy fresca hoy.The water looks very fresh today.
- JavierSí, tengo ganas de chapuzar un poco.Yes, I feel like taking a quick dip.
- Elena¡Yo también! Vamos rápido.Me too! Let's go quickly.
- JavierEspérame, Javier necesita su toalla.Wait for me, Javier needs his towel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dunk” translations and entries chapuzar, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chapuzar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
