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extinguir

eks-teen-GEER/ekstinˈɡiɾ/

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

to extinguish, to put out

Also: to quench
VerbB1spelling-change ir
A hand holding a metal snuffer over a lit candle flame to put it out.
gerundextinguiendo
past Participleextinguido
infinitiveextinguir

📝 In Action

Los bomberos tardaron tres horas en extinguir el incendio.

B1

It took the firefighters three hours to extinguish the fire.

Por favor, asegúrate de extinguir todas las velas.

A2

Please, make sure to put out all the candles.

El fuerte viento ayudó a extinguir las llamas.

B2

The strong wind helped to quench the flames.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • apagar (to turn off / put out)
  • sofocar (to smother / suffocate (a fire))

Antonyms

  • encender (to light / ignite)
  • avivar (to fan / stir up (flames))

Common Collocations

  • extinguir un incendio – to put out a fire
  • extinguir la luz – to put out the light

to wipe out, to cause extinction

Also: to exterminate
VerbB2spelling-change ir
A single colorful bird perched on a branch, representing a rare species.
gerundextinguiendo
past Participleextinguido
infinitiveextinguir

📝 In Action

El cambio climático podría extinguir a muchas especies de aves.

B2

Climate change could wipe out many bird species.

Un gran impacto acabó por extinguir a los dinosaurios.

B1

A large impact ended up wiping out the dinosaurs.

No debemos permitir que el odio extinga nuestra humanidad.

C1

We must not allow hatred to exterminate our humanity.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • extinguir una especie – to wipe out a species
  • peligro de extinguirse – danger of going extinct

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesextinguieran
yoextinguiera
túextinguieras
vosotrosextinguierais
nosotrosextinguiéramos
él/ella/ustedextinguiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesextingan
yoextinga
túextingas
vosotrosextingáis
nosotrosextingamos
él/ella/ustedextinga

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesextinguieron
yoextinguí
túextinguiste
vosotrosextinguisteis
nosotrosextinguimos
él/ella/ustedextinguió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesextinguían
yoextinguía
túextinguías
vosotrosextinguíais
nosotrosextinguíamos
él/ella/ustedextinguía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesextinguen
yoextingo
túextingues
vosotrosextinguís
nosotrosextinguimos
él/ella/ustedextingue
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "extinguir" in Spanish:

to exterminate→to extinguish→to quench→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: extinguir

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I extinguish' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
extinción(extinction) — Noun
extinto(extinct) — Adjective
extintor(fire extinguisher) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'extinguere', which means 'to quench' or 'to poke out' (from 'ex-' meaning 'out' and 'stinguere' meaning 'to prick').

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: extinguishFrench: éteindre

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'extinguir' and 'apagar'?

'Apagar' is used for daily things like lights, TVs, and small candles. 'Extinguir' is more formal and used for large fires, debts, or biological extinction.

Is 'extinguir' a regular verb?

Almost! It follows regular -ir patterns, but it has a 'spelling change' where you drop the 'u' when the ending starts with 'a' or 'o' (like 'yo extingo').

How do you say a species 'went extinct'?

You can say 'la especie se extinguió' (using the reflexive 'se' to show it happened to them).