hurgar
/uɾˈɡaɾ/
The English phrase scavenging can be translated into Spanish as hurgar.
The term describes the act of searching through waste or discarded items to find something useful.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In various Latin American countries, the phrase juntar cachivaches is used to refer to the act of scavenging for various objects or items.
How do you pronounce it?
/uɾˈɡaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word hurgar is often used colloquially to describe the act of picking one's nose, rather than searching through waste.
- The verb hurgar shares a surprising ancestry with the English word 'furtive' and 'ferret', as both stem from the Latin word for 'thief'.
- While hurgar describes the physical act of rummaging, it is often used metaphorically to describe someone poking their nose into private matters or gossip.
Examples in context
- Me gusta hurgar en las cajas de ofertas.I like to scavenge through the bargain boxes.
- No deberías hurgar en la basura de los demás.You shouldn't scavenge through other people's trash.
- Él empezó a hurgar entre los restos del desguace.He started scavenging among the junkyard scraps.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at a flea market looking for antiques.
- DanielMira cuántas cosas viejas hay aquí.Look at how many old things are here.
- ElenaVoy a hurgar en aquel montón de libros.I'm going to scavenge through that pile of books.
- DanielQuizás encuentres algo interesante para tu colección.Maybe you'll find something interesting for your collection.
- Elena¡Mira! He encontrado un mapa antiguo.Look! I found an old map.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hurgar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hurgar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
