tirar
/tiˈɾaɾ/
To throw out in Spanish, you use tirar. Wiktionary also lists botar.
Meaning: discard (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| tirar | /tiˈɾaɾ/ |
| botar | /boˈtaɾ/ |
While echar means to throw, it is commonly used when talking about discarding or getting rid of something. For more specificity, you can use the phrase tirar a la basura, which means to throw to the trash.
Which one should you use?
While tirar can mean 'to throw' (as in throwing a ball), in Spain it is the primary way to express 'to discard' or 'to throw out' trash. In contrast, botar is a synonym for throw out and is mostly used in Latin American countries. If you want to emphasize the action of throwing forcefully, you might use arrojar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Latin American countries, botar is the standard verb for throwing something away or discarding it.
How do you pronounce it?
/tiˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, tirar can mean both 'to throw' and 'to pull'. Whether you are throwing out trash or pulling a lever depends entirely on the context of the sentence.
- Depending on the region, tirar can be used in the phrase tirar la casa por la ventana, which means to spend money lavishly rather than literally throwing things out.
- In some contexts, botar is used as a slang term for firing an employee, literally treating the person as something to be 'thrown out' of the company.
Examples in context
- Debería desechar todos los documentos confidenciales.You should throw out all the confidential documents.
- Tengo que tirar esta caja vieja.I have to throw out this old box.
- ¿Vas a tirar esa comida?Are you going to throw out that food?
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are cleaning the kitchen together.
- LucíaMateo, ¿podemos tirar este frasco?Mateo, can we throw out this jar?
- MateoSí, ya está vacío.Yes, it is already empty.
- LucíaLo voy a tirar ahora mismo.I am going to throw it out right now.
- MateoPerfecto, gracias Lucía.Perfect, thank you Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “throw out” translations and entries tirar, botar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
