apestaba
/apestaba/from spelling rules
The English phrase "stank" is translated into Spanish as apestaba.
apestaba a is the standard way to express that something had a strong, unpleasant odor of a specific substance. To say something stank of a specific scent, use the construction apestaba a [noun]. While Mal olor is a neutral and straightforward way to describe a bad smell, in Spain, the verb Apestar conveys a strong sense of a terrible smell, similar to "to reek".
How does it change in a sentence?
apestaba is the imperfect indicative form of the verb apestar, used to describe a continuous or habitual state of smelling bad in the past. In contrast, the preterite form apestó is used if the smell occurred as a single, completed event in the past.
How do you pronounce it?
/apestaba/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, apestar is used colloquially to mean that someone is very bad at a particular skill, similar to the English slang 'to suck'.
- The verb apestar shares the same root as the word peste, which means 'plague'. In historical contexts, a 'plague' was often associated with the stench of decay.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, describing a person as apestar can be used metaphorically to say they are a 'bad person' or 'rotten' to the core.
Examples in context
- Miroslav apestaba a hoguera.Miroslav stank of campfire.This sentence is useful for showing how to say someone stank of a specific scent using apestaba.Tatoeba #13812996 by Seael, translation #11842543 by Amastan
- ¡La basura está hedionda!The garbage smells stenchy!
- Esta comida apesta.This food reeks.
- Qué tufo hay en este lugar.What a stench there is in this place.
- apesta como un desagüeIt stinks like a drain
- huele como un calcetín sucioIt smells like a dirty sock
- La nevera apesta como un desagüe.The fridge stinks like a drain.
- La basura apestaba en la cocina.The garbage stank in the kitchen.
- Esa habitación apestaba a humedad.That room stank of dampness.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about a dirty old car.
- JavierNo quiero entrar en ese coche.I don't want to get into that car.
- ElenaEs verdad, el interior apestaba a humedad.It's true, the interior stank of dampness.
- JavierBusquemos otro transporte entonces.Let's look for another transport then.
- ElenaDe acuerdo, Javier, vamos a pie.Alright, Javier, let's go on foot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
