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empujar

em-poo-HAR/em.puˈxaɾ/

to push

Also: to shove
VerbA1regular ar
A person pushing a large, heavy wooden crate across a floor.
past Participleempujado
infinitiveempujar
gerundempujando

📝 In Action

Tienes que empujar la puerta para entrar.

A1

You have to push the door to get in.

No me empujes, por favor.

A1

Don't shove me, please.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • tirar (to pull)
  • jalar (to pull (common in Latin America))

Common Collocations

  • empujar el carrito – to push the shopping cart
  • empujar con fuerza – to push hard

to push

Also: to drive
VerbB1regular ar
A friendly bird gently nudging a smaller bird with its wing to help it fly.
past Participleempujado
infinitiveempujar
gerundempujando

📝 In Action

Mis padres me empujaron a estudiar música.

B1

My parents pushed me to study music.

La crisis empujó a la gente a buscar soluciones nuevas.

B2

The crisis drove people to look for new solutions.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • impulsar (to boost/drive)
  • animar (to encourage)
  • incitar (to incite)

Antonyms

  • disuadir (to dissuade)
  • frenar (to slow down/stop)

Common Collocations

  • empujar los límites – to push the boundaries/limits

Idioms & Expressions

  • a empujones – bit by bit or with a lot of struggle/pressure

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesempujen
vosotrosempujéis
él/ella/ustedempuje
nosotrosempujemos
túempujes
yoempuje

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesempujaran
vosotrosempujarais
él/ella/ustedempujara
nosotrosempujáramos
túempujaras
yoempujara

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesempujaron
vosotrosempujasteis
él/ella/ustedempujó
nosotrosempujamos
túempujaste
yoempujé

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesempujaban
vosotrosempujabais
él/ella/ustedempujaba
nosotrosempujábamos
túempujabas
yoempujaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesempujan
vosotrosempujáis
él/ella/ustedempuja
nosotrosempujamos
túempujas
yoempujo
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "empujar" in Spanish:

to drive→to push→to shove→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: empujar

Question 1 of 2

If you see a sign on a shop door that says 'Empuje', what should you do?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
empujón(a shove/big push) — Noun
empuje(drive/energy/thrust) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'impulsare,' which means to strike against or set in motion. It shares the same roots as the English word 'impulse'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: empurrarEnglish: impulse

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'empujar' regular or irregular?

It is completely regular! It follows the standard -ar verb patterns for every single tense.

What is the difference between 'empujar' and 'pujar'?

'Empujar' means to push an object. 'Pujar' is much more specific, meaning to bid at an auction or to strain/grunt while making a physical effort.