evacuar
/ebaˈkwaɾ/
To evacuate in Spanish is evacuar.
The verb evacuar is used to describe the action of moving people or things out of an unsafe location and into a place of safety.
Meaning: to move out of an unsafe location into safety (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Central America, the word desocupar is commonly used to express the need to evacuate a space.
How does it change in a sentence?
Evacuar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense. Its past participle is evacuado, and the related noun for the process of evacuation is evacuación.
How do you pronounce it?
/ebaˈkwaɾ/
Did you know?
- In common spoken Spanish, evacuar is frequently used as a medical euphemism for emptying the bowels or bladder.
- In legal or official contexts in some Latin American countries, evacuar can be used to describe the act of submitting a formal response or 'emptying' a legal requirement.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if a landlord asks you to desocupar an apartment, it does not necessarily imply a life-threatening emergency like a fire.
Examples in context
- Tenemos 24 horas para evacuar la ciudad.We have 24 hours to evacuate the city.This sentence shows how to use evacuar regarding a time limit for a city.Tatoeba #1231052 by hayastan, translation #1325010 by CK
- Sonó la alarma y todos debieron evacuar.The alarm rang and everyone had to evacuate.This sentence uses evacuar to describe a mandatory action following an alarm.Tatoeba #1713892 by marcelostockle, translation #1713907 by marcelostockle
- Hay un incendio en el edificio. Tenemos que evacuarlo inmediatamente.There's a fire in the building. We have to evacuate immediately.This sentence uses evacuar to express an immediate need to leave a building due to fire.Tatoeba #1247692 by hayastan, translation #954400 by CK
- Es necesario evacuar el edificio de inmediato.It is necessary to evacuate the building immediately.
- Por favor, desalojen el área lo más rápido posible.Please evacuate the area as quickly as possible.
- Las autoridades ordenaron abandonar la zona afectada por el desastre.The authorities ordered to evacuate the area affected by the disaster.
- ¡Salgamos corriendo, tenemos que evacuar el área rápidamente!Let's run out, we have to evacuate the area quickly!
- Tenemos que dejar el lugar de inmediato, hay un riesgo de incendio.We need to leave the place immediately, there is a risk of fire.
- Por favor, desocupen la playa, se acerca un huracán.Please evacuate the beach, a hurricane is approaching.
- Las autoridades han recomendado vaciar las áreas cercanas al volcán.The authorities have recommended emptying the areas near the volcano.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are discussing a safety drill at work.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿sabes si tenemos que evacuar el edificio hoy?Daniel, do you know if we have to evacuate the building today?
- DanielSí, Sofía, hay un simulacro de seguridad a las tres.Yes, Sofía, there is a safety drill at three.
- SofíaEntiendo, entonces debemos evacuar de forma ordenada.I understand, so we must evacuate in an orderly manner.
- DanielExacto, es muy importante seguir las instrucciones.Exactly, it is very important to follow the instructions.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evacuate” translations and entries evacuar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
