How to Say "to charge" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to charge” is “cargar” — use 'cargar' when referring to recharging batteries or electronic devices, or when debiting money to a credit card or account.
cargar
kar-GARkaɾˈɣaɾ
Examples
¿Dónde puedo cargar mi teléfono?
Where can I charge my phone?
Necesitas cargar la batería antes de usar la cámara.
You need to charge the battery before using the camera.
El coche eléctrico ya está completamente cargado.
The electric car is already completely charged.
Por favor, cargue la compra a mi tarjeta de crédito.
Please charge the purchase to my credit card.
Reflexive Use for Status
When talking about the device itself running out of power, use 'descargarse' (reflexive), but for the positive action of restoring power, just use 'cargar'.
Using 'A' for the Destination
When charging money, you often use the preposition 'a' (to) to specify where the money is going: 'cargar [algo] a [la tarjeta/la cuenta].'
atacar
ah-tah-KAHRataˈkaɾ
Examples
El león intentó atacar a la cebra.
The lion tried to attack the zebra.
Las fuerzas enemigas atacaron al amanecer.
The enemy forces attacked at dawn.
Spelling Change in Preterite 'Yo'
To keep the hard 'k' sound of the 'c' before the vowel 'e', the 'c' changes to 'qu' only in the 'yo' form of the preterite (ataqué).
Incorrect Preterite Spelling
Mistake: “Yo atacé (with a 'z' sound)”
Correction: Yo ataqué. Remember that 'c' sounds like 's' or 'th' before 'e' or 'i', so you must use 'qu' to keep the hard 'k' sound.
inculpar
een-kool-PARinkulˈpaɾ
Examples
No hay suficientes pruebas para inculpar al sospechoso.
There isn't enough evidence to incriminate the suspect.
Él intentó inculpar a su compañero para salvarse.
He tried to blame his partner to save himself.
Fue inculpado injustamente por un crimen que no cometió.
He was unjustly charged for a crime he didn't commit.
The Personal 'a'
Since 'inculpar' involves doing something to a person, you must use 'a' before the name or noun of the person being accused (e.g., 'Inculpar a Juan').
Connecting the Crime
Use the word 'de' to link the person to the specific crime or fault, like saying 'to incriminate someone of something'.
Confusing 'Culpar' and 'Inculpar'
Mistake: “Using 'inculpar' for small daily mistakes like 'inculpé a mi hermano por comerse el pastel'.”
Correction: Use 'culpar' for general blame and 'inculpar' for formal or legal accusations of crimes.
cometer
koh-meh-TERko.meˈteɾ
Examples
El director cometió la nueva tarea al equipo más experimentado.
The director entrusted the new task to the most experienced team.
Use Modern Alternatives
While 'cometer' is historically correct for 'to entrust,' modern Spanish speakers almost always use 'encargar' or 'confiar' instead. Stick to those verbs for daily conversation.
Don't confuse 'cargar' with 'atacar'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.