empacar
/em-pah-KAHR/
to pack
Empacar can mean to pack a suitcase for a trip.
empacar(verb)
to pack
?putting items into a suitcase or box
to box up
?organizing things for a move
📝 In Action
Necesito empacar mi maleta para el viaje de mañana.
A1I need to pack my suitcase for tomorrow's trip.
Ya terminamos de empacar todas las cajas para la mudanza.
A2We already finished packing all the boxes for the move.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'k' sound rule
To keep the hard 'k' sound of the word, the 'c' changes to 'qu' whenever the next letter is an 'e' (like in 'empaqué' or 'empaque').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Spelling in the Past
Mistake: "yo empacé"
Correction: yo empaqué (Spanish uses 'qu' before 'e' to keep the hard 'k' sound from the original word).
⭐ Usage Tips
Regional Choice
While 'empacar' is very common in Latin America, people in Spain often prefer the phrase 'hacer la maleta' for luggage.
Empacar also refers to packaging goods for sale or distribution.
empacar(verb)
to package
?preparing goods for sale or distribution
to wrap
?putting products in commercial containers
📝 In Action
La fábrica empaca al vacío para mantener la frescura.
B1The factory vacuum-packages to maintain freshness.
💡 Grammar Points
Industrial Use
In a commercial setting, this word describes the final stage of production before shipping.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: empacar
Question 1 of 2
How do you say 'I packed' (past tense) in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'empacar' used in Spain?
Yes, but it's less common for travel. In Spain, people usually say 'hacer la maleta' for packing a suitcase, while 'empacar' is often reserved for shipping or industrial packaging.
What does 'empacar al vacío' mean?
It means 'to vacuum pack,' a common method for preserving food by removing air from the package.