Inklingo

apilar

ah-pee-lahr/apiˈlaɾ/

apilar means to stack in Spanish (placing things one on top of another).

to stack

Also: to pile up
VerbA2regular ar
A neat vertical pile of colorful wooden toy blocks.
gerundapilando
past Participleapilado
infinitiveapilar

📝 In Action

Por favor, apila las sillas en la esquina.

A1

Please, stack the chairs in the corner.

Los niños están apilando bloques de madera.

A2

The children are stacking wooden blocks.

Es difícil apilar estos libros porque son de diferentes tamaños.

B1

It is difficult to stack these books because they are different sizes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • amontonar (to pile up / heap)
  • estibar (to stow / stack neatly (often on ships))

Antonyms

  • desparramar (to scatter)
  • esparcir (to spread out)

Common Collocations

  • apilar leñato stack firewood
  • apilar cajasto stack boxes
  • apilar platosto stack plates

Idioms & Expressions

  • apilarse el trabajoto have work piling up or accumulating quickly

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesapilaran
yoapilara
apilaras
vosotrosapilarais
nosotrosapiláramos
él/ella/ustedapilara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesapilen
yoapile
apiles
vosotrosapiléis
nosotrosapilemos
él/ella/ustedapile

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesapilaron
yoapilé
apilaste
vosotrosapilasteis
nosotrosapilamos
él/ella/ustedapiló

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesapilaban
yoapilaba
apilabas
vosotrosapilabais
nosotrosapilábamos
él/ella/ustedapilaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesapilan
yoapilo
apilas
vosotrosapiláis
nosotrosapilamos
él/ella/ustedapila

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "apilar" in Spanish:

to stack

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: apilar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence best describes stacking boxes neatly?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
pila(pile / battery)Noun
apilado(stacked)Adjective
apilador(stacker (person or machine))Noun
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Spanish word 'pila' (pile), which comes from Latin 'pīla', meaning a pillar or stone pier.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: pileFrench: empiler

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'apilar' and 'amontonar'?

'Apilar' usually implies a vertical, somewhat organized stack. 'Amontonar' is more about creating a messy mound or heap.

Can 'apilar' be used for digital files?

While less common than 'archivar' or 'guardar', you can use it figuratively for 'stacking up' tasks or digital items in a list.

Is 'apilar' a common verb?

Yes, it's very useful for daily tasks, construction, warehouse work, and household chores.