contaminar

kohn-tah-mee-nahrkontamiˈnaɾ

“contaminar” means “to pollute” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to pollute🔊B1Verb

referring to the environment or nature

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to taint / to corrupt🔊C1Verb

referring to ideas, language, or emotions

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to pollute

Also: to contaminate

VerbB1regular ar

A factory chimney releasing dark smoke into a bright blue sky above a green forest.

gerundcontaminando

past Participlecontaminado

infinitivecontaminar

📝 In Action

Las fábricas contaminan el río con sus desechos.

The factories pollute the river with their waste.

El humo de los coches contamina el aire de la ciudad.

Car smoke pollutes the city air.

No debemos contaminar nuestro planeta.

We must not pollute our planet.

Word Connections

Synonyms

polucionar (to pollute (specific to ecology))
ensuciar (to make dirty)

Antonyms

purificar (to purify)
limpiar (to clean)

Common Collocations

contaminar el medio ambiente – to pollute the environment
contaminar el agua – to contaminate the water

to taint / to corrupt

VerbC1regular arformal

A single drop of black ink falling into a glass of crystal clear water, creating dark swirls.

gerundcontaminando

past Participlecontaminado

infinitivecontaminar

📝 In Action

Los prejuicios pueden contaminar el juicio de un juez.

Prejudices can taint a judge's judgment.

Muchos creen que los extranjerismos contaminan el idioma.

Many believe that foreign words corrupt the language.

Word Connections

Synonyms

corromper (to corrupt)
alterar (to alter/change)

Antonyms

sanear (to clean up / to fix)

Common Collocations

contaminar el pensamiento – to corrupt thought

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocontaminara

túcontaminaras

él/ella/ustedcontaminara

nosotroscontamináramos

vosotroscontaminarais

ellos/ellas/ustedescontaminaran

Present Subjunctive

yocontamine

túcontamines

él/ella/ustedcontamine

nosotroscontaminemos

vosotroscontaminéis

ellos/ellas/ustedescontaminen

Indicative

Preterite

yocontaminé

túcontaminaste

él/ella/ustedcontaminó

nosotroscontaminamos

vosotroscontaminasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedescontaminaron

Imperfect

yocontaminaba

túcontaminabas

él/ella/ustedcontaminaba

nosotroscontaminábamos

vosotroscontaminabais

ellos/ellas/ustedescontaminaban

Present

yocontamino

túcontaminas

él/ella/ustedcontamina

nosotroscontaminamos

vosotroscontamináis

ellos/ellas/ustedescontaminan

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "contaminar" in Spanish:

to contaminate→to pollute→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: contaminar

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the most likely thing to 'contaminar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

contaminación(pollution) — Noun

contaminante(pollutant) — Noun

contaminado(polluted/contaminated) — Adjective

🎵 Rhymes▼

caminar imaginar terminar

📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'contaminare', which originally meant to bring into contact, to blend, or to defile by touching.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: contaminateFrench: contaminer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'contaminar' a regular verb?

What is the difference between 'contaminar' and 'polucionar'?

How do I say 'the air is polluted'?