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How to Say "to disconnect" in Spanish

English → Spanish

colgar

kohl-GAHRkolˈɡaɾ

verbA1general
Use 'colgar' when referring to the act of ending a phone call, either by hanging up the receiver or digitally ending the call.
A person's hand is shown placing the receiver back onto a black rotary phone, ending the call.

Examples

Mi amigo me colgó de repente.

My friend hung up on me suddenly.

Estaba hablando cuando mi hermano me colgó.

I was talking when my brother hung up on me.

Espera, no cuelgues, necesito decirte algo más.

Wait, don't hang up, I need to tell you something else.

Using 'Colgar' with People

When you hang up on someone, you often use the indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos) before the verb to show who the action affected: 'Me colgó' (He hung up on me).

Misusing the Reflexive Form

Mistake: “Me colgué.”

Correction: Me colgó. The action (hanging up) is done *to* the phone, not *to* yourself. The person you were talking to 'colgó' (hung up) on you ('me').

desconectar

des-koh-nek-TARdesko-nekˈtaɾ

verbA2general
Use 'desconectar' for physically separating components, like unplugging an appliance, or for mentally disconnecting from a situation or activity.
A hand pulling a white power cord out of a wall socket.

Examples

Recuerda desconectar el televisor de la corriente.

Remember to unplug the television from the power outlet.

Por favor, desconecta la cafetera antes de salir.

Please, unplug the coffee maker before leaving.

El técnico tuvo que desconectar los cables de la red.

The technician had to disconnect the network cables.

Si no pagas la factura, te van a desconectar la luz.

If you don't pay the bill, they are going to cut off your electricity.

Unplugging vs. Disconnecting

While 'desenchufar' only means pulling a plug out of a socket, 'desconectar' is used for anything that stops a connection, like Wi-Fi or batteries.

Using the wrong word for appliances

Mistake: “Voy a romper el cable.”

Correction: Voy a desconectar el cable.

Hang Up vs. Unplug

The most common mistake is using 'desconectar' for ending a phone call. Remember that 'colgar' is the specific verb for hanging up a phone. 'Desconectar' is for physical separation or a mental break.

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