How to Say "to pump" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to pump” is “bombear” — B1 level.
Examples
El corazón se encarga de bombear sangre a todo el cuerpo.
The heart is responsible for pumping blood to the whole body.
Necesitamos bombear el agua fuera del sótano inundado.
We need to pump the water out of the flooded basement.
Estaba bombeando aire en la rueda de la bicicleta.
I was pumping air into the bicycle tire.
A Fully Regular Verb
This verb follows the standard pattern for all '-ar' verbs. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you can conjugate 'bombear' perfectly.
Using it with Objects
When you use this verb, you usually need to say WHAT is being pumped (like water or air) right after the word.
Inflar vs. Bombear
Mistake: “Using 'bombear' for the general act of blowing up a balloon with your mouth.”
Correction: Use 'inflar' for mouth-blowing. Use 'bombear' only when a mechanical device or a pumping motion is involved.
Related Translations
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