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sacudir

sah-koo-DEER/sakuˈðiɾ/

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

to shake, to dust

Also: to shake out
VerbA2regular ir
General
A person standing outdoors shaking a small rectangular rug, with tiny dust particles flying off into the air.
gerundsacudiendo (shaking)
past Participlesacudido (shaken)
infinitivesacudir

📝 In Action

Tienes que sacudir la alfombra fuera de la casa.

A2

You have to shake the rug outside of the house.

Ella sacudió el mantel después de la cena.

B1

She shook out the tablecloth after dinner.

No sacudas el termómetro tan fuerte.

B1

Don't shake the thermometer so hard.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • sacudir el polvo – to dust (literally: to shake the dust)
  • sacudir la cabeza – to shake one's head

Idioms & Expressions

  • sacudir el bolsillo – to spend a lot of money

to shock, to rattle

Also: to shake up
VerbB2regular ir
A group of people in a peaceful village square looking startled as a sudden strong gust of wind blows their hats off and swirls leaves around them.
gerundsacudiendo
past Participlesacudido
infinitivesacudir

📝 In Action

La noticia del escándalo sacudió a la opinión pública.

B2

The news of the scandal shocked public opinion.

Un fuerte terremoto sacudió la capital esta mañana.

B1

A strong earthquake shook the capital this morning.

Su confesión sacudió los cimientos de nuestra relación.

C1

Their confession shook the foundations of our relationship.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • conmocionar (to shock/commote)
  • alterar (to alter/disturb)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • sacudir al mundo – to shake the world
  • sacudir la conciencia – to rattle one's conscience

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessacudieran
yosacudiera
túsacudieras
vosotrossacudierais
nosotrossacudiéramos
él/ella/ustedsacudiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessacudan
yosacuda
túsacudas
vosotrossacudáis
nosotrossacudamos
él/ella/ustedsacuda

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedessacudieron
yosacudí
túsacudiste
vosotrossacudisteis
nosotrossacudimos
él/ella/ustedsacudió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessacudían
yosacudía
túsacudías
vosotrossacudíais
nosotrossacudíamos
él/ella/ustedsacudía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessacuden
yosacudo
túsacudes
vosotrossacudís
nosotrossacudimos
él/ella/ustedsacude
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "sacudir" in Spanish:

to dust→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: sacudir

Question 1 of 3

If you want to remove dust from a table, which verb is most specific?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
sacudida(a shake/jolt) — Noun
sacudón(a big/sudden shake) — Noun
sacudidor(duster/shaker) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'succutere', which combines 'sub' (from below) and 'quatere' (to shake). Essentially, it originally meant to shake something from underneath to stir it up.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: succussFrench: secouer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'sacudir' be used with people?

Yes, but be careful! It can mean to physically shake someone (like by the shoulders) or metaphorically 'shake them up' with news.

Is 'sacudir' a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ir, making it very easy to conjugate.

How do I say 'to shake off a bad habit'?

You can use the reflexive form 'sacudirse' followed by the habit, e.g., 'sacudirse un mal hábito'.