Inklingo

How to Say "to empty" in Spanish

English → Spanish

vaciar

/bah-syahr//baˈθjaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'vaciar' when you are removing the contents from a container, like a bag, box, or room, and the focus is on making it empty.
A child turning a small wooden bucket upside down to let sand fall out onto a beach.

Examples

Necesito vaciar la mochila antes de viajar.

I need to empty the backpack before traveling.

Vaciamos toda la casa en un solo fin de semana.

We cleared out the whole house in just one weekend.

Por favor, vacía el agua de la cubeta.

Please, pour out the water from the bucket.

The Accent Shift

When you say 'I empty' (vacío), the 'i' gets a strong sound and needs an accent mark. This happens in all forms where the stress falls on the stem, except for 'we' and 'you all' in Spain.

Vaciar vs. Limpiar

Use 'vaciar' for taking things OUT of a container. Use 'limpiar' for making the container clean. You 'vaciar' a trash can before you 'limpiar' it.

Missing Accents

Mistake: “Yo vacio la caja.”

Correction: Yo vacío la caja. (Without the accent, it sounds like 'vacio', which isn't a word; it needs that extra punch on the 'i'.)

descargar

/dehs-kar-GAHR//deskaɾˈɣaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'descargar' when emptying a vehicle or a large container, often implying the removal of goods or cargo.
A person carrying a heavy brown box off the back of a wooden truck.

Examples

Los trabajadores están descargando el camión de mudanza.

The workers are unloading the moving truck.

Ayúdame a descargar las bolsas del coche.

Help me unload the bags from the car.

El barco descargó toda la mercancía en el puerto.

The ship unloaded all the goods at the port.

Physical vs. Digital

The logic is the same as English 'unload'. You are removing 'cargo' (carga), whether it's heavy boxes or digital data.

despejar

/des-peh-HAR//despeˈxaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'despejar' when the action is about clearing an area of people or objects to make it empty and accessible.
A wooden table being cleared of clutter like books and cups.

Examples

La policía tuvo que despejar la calle para la ambulancia.

The police had to clear the street for the ambulance.

Por favor, despeja la mesa para que podamos comer.

Please, clear off the table so that we can eat.

Despejaron el edificio por una amenaza de bomba.

They cleared the building because of a bomb threat.

Using 'despejar' vs 'limpiar'

Use 'limpiar' for cleaning dirt or dust, but use 'despejar' when you are moving objects out of the way to create open space.

Don't use 'claro' as a verb

Mistake: “Voy a claro la mesa.”

Correction: Voy a despejar la mesa. (To clear space, you need the verb despejar, not the adjective claro).

evacuar

/eh-bah-kwahr//ebaˈkwaɾ/

verbB1formal
Use 'evacuar' specifically when referring to the organized removal of people from a place due to danger or emergency.
A group of people walking orderly away from a building towards a safe open field.

Examples

Tuvieron que evacuar el edificio por la alarma de incendio.

They had to evacuate the building because of the fire alarm.

Es urgente evacuar a los vecinos de la zona inundada.

It is urgent to evacuate the neighbors from the flooded area.

El herido fue evacuado en helicóptero al hospital más cercano.

The injured person was evacuated by helicopter to the nearest hospital.

Two ways to say it

For a long time, the only 'correct' way to say 'I evacuate' was 'evacuo' (rhymes with 'vacuo'). However, it's now perfectly fine to say 'evacúo' (rhymes with 'actúo'). Most people use the accented version nowadays!

People vs. Places

In Spanish, you can 'evacuar' a building (empty the space) or 'evacuar' people (move them out). Both are natural.

Confusing with Vaciar

Mistake: “Voy a evacuar mi vaso.”

Correction: Voy a vaciar mi vaso.

Vaciar vs. Descargar

Learners often confuse 'vaciar' and 'descargar'. Remember that 'vaciar' is for emptying the contents of a container (like a bag), while 'descargar' is typically used for unloading cargo from vehicles or large containers.

Related Translations

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