How to Say "to purify" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to purify” is “purificar” — B1 level.
Examples
Este filtro sirve para purificar el agua del grifo.
This filter is used to purify tap water.
Las plantas en la oficina ayudan a purificar el aire de forma natural.
The plants in the office help to purify the air naturally.
Es necesario purificar el metal antes de fabricar la joya.
It is necessary to refine the metal before making the piece of jewelry.
The 'C' to 'QU' spelling swap
To keep the hard 'K' sound, the 'c' changes to 'qu' whenever the next letter is an 'e' (like in the past 'yo' form: purifiqué).
Reflexive use for people
If you want to say someone is purifying themselves (spiritually), use 'purificarse' by adding 'se' to the end.
Purificar vs. Limpiar
Mistake: “Voy a purificar los platos después de cenar.”
Correction: Voy a limpiar los platos. Use 'purificar' for deep, scientific, or spiritual cleaning, not everyday chores.
Spelling error in the past
Mistake: “Yo purificué el agua.”
Correction: Yo purifiqué el agua. In Spanish, 'qu' is used to make the 'k' sound before 'e'.
Related Translations
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