tragar
“tragar” means “to swallow” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to swallow
Also: to gulp down
📝 In Action
Me duele la garganta al tragar.
A2My throat hurts when I swallow.
Tienes que masticar bien antes de tragar la comida.
B1You have to chew well before swallowing the food.
Se tragó el vaso de agua de un solo golpe.
B2He gulped down the glass of water in one go.
to stand / to stomach
📝 In Action
No trago a ese tipo, es muy arrogante.
B1I can't stand that guy; he's very arrogant.
¿De verdad lo invitas? Sabes que no lo trago.
B2Are you really inviting him? You know I can't stomach him.
to fall for
📝 In Action
Le dije una mentira y se la tragó entera.
B2I told him a lie and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tragar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'I swallowed' in the past tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'trahere', which means 'to drag or pull', eventually evolving to describe the action of drawing food down the throat.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'tragar' rude?
Not when used literally (swallowing food), but when describing how someone eats, it can imply they are eating like an animal (gobbling). To be more polite about eating, use 'comer' or 'ingerir'.
Why is it 'tragué' instead of 'tragé'?
In Spanish, the letter 'g' sounds like 'h' (soft) when it is followed by 'e'. To keep the hard 'g' sound (like 'goat'), we have to add a silent 'u' in between.
Can I use 'tragar' for liquids?
Yes! It applies to anything that goes down your throat, including water, pills, or food.