What does it mean word for word?
The word apagón is formed from the verb apagar (to turn off/extinguish) and the suffix -ón which often denotes a large or intensive action.
Which one should you use?
Apagón specifically implies a sudden and widespread loss of power. For a more general 'power cut', you might use the phrase corte de luz. If you are discussing a broader service disruption, such as internet or water, formal terms like corte de servicio or interrupción de suministro are more appropriate.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, you may hear suspensión del servicio to refer to a service suspension or outage or falta de fluido eléctrico to describe a lack of electrical fluid or an outage. In Spain, pérdida de suministro is used to refer to a loss of supply and fallo en el servicio is used in formal contexts to describe a service failure or disruption.
How does it change in a sentence?
Apagón is a masculine noun, so it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article un when saying 'a power outage' (un apagón).
How do you pronounce it?
/apaˈɡon/
Did you know?
- While an English speaker might say 'the lights went out', a Spanish speaker might say 'se fue la luz', which literally translates to 'the light went away'.
- In Spanish-speaking news reports, the term apagón informativo is used to describe a 'media blackout', where a government or entity prevents certain information from being published.
- While apagón refers to the event, the verb apagar was originally used to describe extinguishing a candle or a fire.
Examples in context
- Tuvimos un apagón ayer.We had a power outage yesterday.This sentence uses apagón to describe a power outage that happened yesterday.Tatoeba #10274524 by manufrutos, translation #10255262 by megamanenm
- ¿Qué causó el apagón?What caused the power outage?This sentence uses apagón to ask about the cause of a power outage.Tatoeba #8163377 by ritualesatanum, translation #4665387 by CK
- El corte de servicio eléctrico duró varias horas.The power outage lasted several hours.
- Tuvimos un apagón anoche, pero la electricidad ya se restableció.We had a power outage last night, but the electricity has been restored now.
- Hubo un corte de servicioThere was a service outage.
- Estamos sin electricidadWe are without electricity.
- La interrupción duró varias horasThe interruption lasted several hours.
- El apagón duró tres horas.The outage lasted three hours.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking in their living room during a dark night.
- Lucía¿Sabes por qué hubo un apagón?Do you know why there was an outage?
- AlejandroNo lo sé, pero Lucía, busca las velas.I don't know, but Lucía, look for the candles.
- LucíaLas estoy buscando ahora mismo.I am looking for them right now.
- AlejandroGracias, espero que vuelva pronto la luz.Thanks, I hope the power comes back soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “outage” translations and entries apagón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apagón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
