masticar
“masticar” means “to chew” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to chew
Also: to masticate
📝 In Action
Tienes que masticar bien la comida antes de tragar.
A1You have to chew your food well before swallowing.
El niño está masticando un chicle de fresa.
A2The boy is chewing a piece of strawberry gum.
Es difícil masticar con este dolor de muelas.
B1It is hard to chew with this toothache.
to mull over
Also: to process, to mumble
📝 In Action
Necesito tiempo para masticar esta noticia.
B2I need time to process (mull over) this news.
No mastiques las palabras, habla claro.
C1Don't mumble your words, speak clearly.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: masticar
Question 1 of 3
What is the correct 'yo' form of 'masticar' in the past (preterite)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'masticare', which has the same meaning of grinding food with teeth.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between 'mascar' and 'masticar'?
'Masticar' is the standard, more 'proper' word for chewing food. 'Mascar' is slightly more informal and is frequently used for things like chewing gum, tobacco, or when animals gnaw on things.
Why is it 'mastiqué' instead of 'masticé'?
In Spanish, the letter 'c' sounds like an 's' before the letter 'e'. To keep the 'k' sound from the original word 'masticar', we have to change the 'c' to 'qu'.
Can I use 'masticar' for processing a difficult emotion?
Yes! Just like in English where we 'digest' news, in Spanish you can 'masticar' a difficult situation or news to show you are trying to understand it.