dispersar
“dispersar” means “to scatter” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to scatter
Also: to spread out
📝 In Action
El viento fuerte dispersó las hojas secas por todo el jardín.
B1The strong wind scattered the dry leaves all over the garden.
Tuvimos que dispersar las semillas de forma uniforme.
B1We had to scatter the seeds evenly.
Los niños se dispersaron por el parque para jugar al escondite.
B2The children scattered around the park to play hide and seek.
to break up
Also: to dispel
📝 In Action
La policía intervino para dispersar la manifestación.
B2The police intervened to break up the demonstration.
Sus explicaciones ayudaron a dispersar mis dudas sobre el proyecto.
C1His explanations helped dispel my doubts about the project.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dispersar
Question 1 of 3
Which verb should you use to say the wind moved leaves all over the place?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'dispersare', which is a stronger version of 'dispergere', meaning 'to sprinkle' or 'to scatter'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'esparcir' and 'dispersar'?
They are very similar. 'Esparcir' is more common for physical objects like seeds or salt. 'Dispersar' is often used for crowds of people or making abstract things like doubts disappear.
Is 'dispersar' a regular verb?
Yes, it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar.
Can I use 'dispersar' to mean 'to waste time'?
No, you should use 'desperdiciar' or 'malgastar' for wasting. 'Dispersar' is only for scattering.