Inklingo

How to Say "to ingest" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto ingestis ingerirB2 level.

English → SpanishB2
verbB2formal
taking food, drink, or medicine into the body
A child happily eating a crisp green apple.

Examples

El paciente no debe ingerir nada sólido antes del examen.

The patient must not ingest anything solid before the exam.

Es peligroso ingerir alcohol mientras se toman estos antibióticos.

It is dangerous to consume alcohol while taking these antibiotics.

Las aves marinas pueden morir al ingerir plásticos del océano.

Seabirds can die by swallowing plastics from the ocean.

The Stem Change

This verb has a 'double life' for the letter 'e'. In most present tense forms, the 'e' becomes 'ie' (like 'ingiero'). However, in the 'nosotros' form of the special mood (subjunctive) and the third-person past tense, it changes to just 'i' (like 'ingirieron').

Don't use it at dinner

Even though it means 'to eat' or 'to drink,' using 'ingerir' at a restaurant would sound like you are a robot or a doctor. Stick to 'comer' or 'beber' for daily life.

Forgetting the 'i' change

Mistake:Ellos ingerieron mucha agua.

Correction: Ellos ingirieron mucha agua. (In the past tense for 'they', the 'e' must change to an 'i').

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