How to Say "it affects" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “it affects” is “ataca” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El perro ataca si te acercas a su plato.
The dog attacks if you approach its bowl.
Siempre me ataca con críticas injustas.
He always attacks me with unfair criticism.
¡Ataca! No dejes que se escape.
Attack! Don't let him escape.
Three Roles of 'Ataca'
'Ataca' can mean three things: 1) He/She/It attacks (El perro ataca); 2) You (formal) attack (Usted ataca); 3) Attack! (the informal command to a friend: ¡Ataca!)
The -CAR Spelling Rule
Even though 'atacar' is regular, Spanish adds a 'u' to the verb stem before an 'e' sound to keep the 'k' sound. This is why the 'yo' preterite is 'ataqué' and the subjunctive form is 'ataque'.
Forgetting the 'qu'
Mistake: “When forming the past tense 'I attacked,' learners sometimes write *atacó* instead of the correct *ataqué*.”
Correction: Always remember the 'c' changes to 'qu' before 'e' in verbs ending in -car: 'Yo ataqué el problema' (I attacked the problem).
Related Translations
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