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apaga

ah-PAH-gah/aˈpa.ɣa/

“apaga” means “turns off” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

turns off, switches off

Also: extinguishes, shuts down
VerbA1regular ar
A cartoon hand is shown flipping a wall light switch downwards. A light bulb above the switch is visibly turning dark, indicating the light is being turned off.
infinitiveapagar
gerundapagando
past Participleapagado

📝 In Action

Ella siempre apaga la televisión antes de estudiar.

A1

She always turns off the television before studying.

El sistema se apaga automáticamente si hay un error.

B1

The system shuts down automatically if there is an error.

Usted apaga la luz al salir de la oficina, ¿verdad?

A2

You (formal) turn off the light when leaving the office, right?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desconecta (disconnects)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • apaga el motor – shuts off the engine
  • apaga la sed – quenches the thirst

Turn off!

Also: Switch off!
VerbA2regular arinformal
Mexico
A person is standing next to a blaring radio, making a sudden, urgent gesture with their hand towards the device, commanding it to be silenced.
infinitiveapagar
gerundapagando
past Participleapagado

📝 In Action

¡Apaga la luz cuando salgas de la habitación!

A1

Turn off the light when you leave the room!

Apaga el cigarrillo, por favor. Estamos dentro.

B1

Put out the cigarette, please. We are inside.

Apaga el móvil antes de empezar la película.

A2

Turn off your cell phone before the movie starts.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • ¡Enciende! (Turn on! (command))

Common Collocations

  • Apaga y vámonos – Let's call it a day (literally: Turn it off and let's go)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedapaga
yoapago
túapagas
ellos/ellas/ustedesapagan
nosotrosapagamos
vosotrosapagáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedapagaba
yoapagaba
túapagabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesapagaban
nosotrosapagábamos
vosotrosapagabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedapagó
yoapagué
túapagaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesapagaron
nosotrosapagamos
vosotrosapagasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedapague
yoapague
túapagues
ellos/ellas/ustedesapaguen
nosotrosapaguemos
vosotrosapaguéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedapagara / apagase
yoapagara / apagase
túapagaras / apagases
ellos/ellas/ustedesapagaran / apagasen
nosotrosapagáramos / apagásemos
vosotrosapagarais / apagaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: apaga

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'apaga' as a direct command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *pacare*, meaning 'to pacify' or 'to calm.' Over time, the meaning evolved in Spanish to mean 'to calm a fire' or 'to extinguish,' and eventually, extended to mean 'to turn off' any device.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: apagar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'apaga' used only for electricity?

No. While it's very common for lights and devices, 'apaga' (from 'apagar') is also used for extinguishing fires, turning off engines, or even figuratively to 'quench' thirst.