How to Say "blackout" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “blackout” is “apagón” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Hubo un apagón anoche y tuvimos que usar velas.
There was a blackout last night and we had to use candles.
El apagón afectó a tres barrios de la ciudad.
The power outage affected three neighborhoods in the city.
La tormenta causó un apagón masivo que duró horas.
The storm caused a massive blackout that lasted for hours.
The Power of the '-ón' Ending
The ending '-ón' is often added to verbs to describe a sudden or big action. Since it comes from 'apagar' (to turn off), an 'apagón' is the big, sudden event of everything turning off.
Gender Rule
Nouns ending in '-ón' are almost always masculine, so you should always say 'el apagón'.
Don't use 'negro'
Mistake: “Hubo un negro en la ciudad.”
Correction: Hubo un apagón en la ciudad. While English uses 'blackout,' Spanish doesn't use the word for the color 'black' to describe a power loss.
Other Meanings of “apagón”
“apagón” can also mean:
- information or media silence(B2)
Related Translations
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