cargar
/kar-GAR/
to carry
When 'cargar' means 'to carry,' it refers to transporting an item.
cargar(verb)
to carry
?transporting an item
,to load
?placing goods onto a vehicle
to bear
?carrying a burden or responsibility
,to haul
📝 In Action
Tengo que cargar estas cajas pesadas al camión.
A1I have to load these heavy boxes onto the truck.
Ella siempre carga con la responsabilidad de la casa.
B1She always bears the responsibility for the house.
El bebé quiere que su mamá lo cargue en brazos.
A2The baby wants his mother to carry him in her arms.
💡 Grammar Points
Spelling Change for Sound
In the simple past (preterite) 'yo' form and all forms of the present subjunctive, the 'g' changes to 'gu' (e.g., 'yo cargué', 'que yo cargue'). This is just to keep the hard 'g' sound consistent, otherwise it would sound like an 'h' (like 'car-HEH').
⭐ Usage Tips
Cargar vs. Llevar
While both mean 'to carry,' 'cargar' emphasizes the weight or the act of putting a load on something (like a pack or a truck), whereas 'llevar' is more general ('to take' or 'to bring').
You use 'cargar' when you 'charge' a device, like a phone or battery.
cargar(verb)
to charge
?recharging a battery or device
to power up
📝 In Action
¿Dónde puedo cargar mi teléfono?
A2Where can I charge my phone?
Necesitas cargar la batería antes de usar la cámara.
A2You need to charge the battery before using the camera.
El coche eléctrico ya está completamente cargado.
B1The electric car is already completely charged.
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive Use for Status
When talking about the device itself running out of power, use 'descargarse' (reflexive), but for the positive action of restoring power, just use 'cargar'.
In finance, 'cargar' means 'to charge' or debit money from an account.
cargar(verb)
to charge
?debiting money to an account
,to bill
to impose (a fee)
📝 In Action
Por favor, cargue la compra a mi tarjeta de crédito.
B1Please charge the purchase to my credit card.
Nos cargaron una tarifa extra por el servicio a domicilio.
B2They charged us an extra fee for home delivery.
El banco cargó la cuota mensual automáticamente.
B2The bank debited the monthly fee automatically.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'A' for the Destination
When charging money, you often use the preposition 'a' (to) to specify where the money is going: 'cargar [algo] a [la tarjeta/la cuenta].'
'Cargar' is used when you 'upload' data or files to a server.
cargar(verb)
to upload
?transferring data to a server
,to load
?referring to a webpage or program
to boot up
📝 In Action
La página web tardó mucho en cargar.
B1The website took a long time to load.
Voy a cargar mis fotos a la nube.
B2I am going to upload my photos to the cloud.
El programa está cargando los archivos necesarios.
B1The program is loading the necessary files.
💡 Grammar Points
The Opposite Action
The opposite of 'cargar' (to upload/load onto something) is 'descargar' (to download/unload from something). This is true for both physical objects and digital files.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cargar
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'cargar' is used in the following sentence: 'Mi jefe me cargó con mucho trabajo.'
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'cargar' always a transitive verb (meaning it needs a direct object)?
Usually, yes. You 'charge' *something* (a phone, a cost, a box). However, when talking about technology, it can be used without an object, like 'La página no carga' (The page isn't loading).
How do I say 'I am charged' (meaning, I am the one being billed)?
You would use the passive or reflexive structure: 'Me cargaron cien dólares' (They charged me $100) or 'Se cargó a mi cuenta' (It was charged to my account).