hurgar
“hurgar” means “to rummage” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to rummage, to poke
Also: to dig around, to pick
📝 In Action
No te hurgues la nariz en público.
A2Don't pick your nose in public.
Hurgué en mi mochila pero no encontré las llaves.
B1I rummaged through my backpack but I didn't find the keys.
El niño hurgaba la tierra con un palo.
B1The boy was poking at the dirt with a stick.
to stir up, to meddle
Also: to pry
📝 In Action
No quiero hurgar en el pasado.
B2I don't want to stir up the past.
Deja de hurgar en mis asuntos personales.
B2Stop meddling in my personal affairs.
Tus preguntas solo sirven para hurgar en la herida.
C1Your questions only serve to rub salt in the wound (stir up the pain).
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hurgar
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct 'I' form in the past tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'furicare', which is a relative of 'furari' (to steal). It originally implied a quick, sneaky movement like a thief searching for something.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'hurgar' the same as 'buscar'?
Not quite. 'Buscar' is just 'to look for.' 'Hurgar' implies a physical or messy digging around with your hands or a tool.
Is it rude to use 'hurgar'?
It can be. Telling someone 'no hurgues' (don't meddle/pry) is quite direct and defensive.
Can I use it for 'browsing' the internet?
Generally, no. For the internet, we use 'navegar' or 'curiosear'. 'Hurgar' is for more deep or physical poking.