Inklingo

How to Say "shuts down" in Spanish

The Spanish word forshuts downis apagaA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
verbA1
engine, system
A cartoon hand is shown flipping a wall light switch downwards. A light bulb above the switch is visibly turning dark, indicating the light is being turned off.

Examples

Ella siempre apaga la televisión antes de estudiar.

She always turns off the television before studying.

El sistema se apaga automáticamente si hay un error.

The system shuts down automatically if there is an error.

Usted apaga la luz al salir de la oficina, ¿verdad?

You (formal) turn off the light when leaving the office, right?

The 'G' to 'GU' Change

When conjugating 'apagar' in certain forms (like the preterite 'yo' form: 'apagué'), the 'g' changes to 'gu'. This change is only there to make sure the 'g' keeps its hard sound, like in the English word 'gate'.

Confusing Subject Forms

Mistake:Using 'apaga' when you mean 'I turn off' ('yo apaga').

Correction: Remember 'apaga' is reserved for 'he/she/it' or formal 'you' (usted). For 'I', you must use 'apago'.

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