traficar
“traficar” means “to traffic” in Spanish (moving illegal goods).
to traffic, to deal
Also: to trade
📝 In Action
La policía detuvo a un hombre que intentaba traficar con animales exóticos.
B1The police arrested a man who was trying to traffic exotic animals.
Es un delito grave traficar con armas de fuego.
B2It is a serious crime to deal in firearms.
Antiguamente, muchos mercaderes solían traficar con seda y especias por esta ruta.
C1In the past, many merchants used to trade in silk and spices along this route.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: traficar
Question 1 of 3
What is the correct 'yo' form of 'traficar' in the past (preterite) tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Italian word 'trafficare', which refers to the movement of goods for business. It likely entered Spanish through maritime trade routes.
First recorded: 16th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'traficar' to talk about cars on the road?
No. Use the noun 'el tráfico' for the cars, and the verb 'circular' or 'conducir' for the action of driving. 'Traficar' is strictly for trading goods.
What's the difference between 'traficar' and 'comerciar'?
'Comerciar' is used for legal, standard business. 'Traficar' usually refers to illegal trade or something morally questionable.
Is 'traficar' a regular verb?
Mostly! It follows the standard '-ar' pattern, except for a small spelling change (c to qu) in forms where the ending starts with 'e' to preserve the pronunciation.