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How to Say "to quench" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to quench” is “extinguir” — use 'extinguir' when referring to putting out a fire or suppressing something that is burning or actively consuming, like a fire or a strong desire.

English → Spanish

extinguir

eks-teen-GEERekstinˈɡiɾ

verbB1general
Use 'extinguir' when referring to putting out a fire or suppressing something that is burning or actively consuming, like a fire or a strong desire.
A hand holding a metal snuffer over a lit candle flame to put it out.

Examples

Los bomberos lograron extinguir las llamas a tiempo.

The firefighters managed to extinguish the flames in time.

Los bomberos tardaron tres horas en extinguir el incendio.

It took the firefighters three hours to extinguish the fire.

Por favor, asegúrate de extinguir todas las velas.

Please, make sure to put out all the candles.

El fuerte viento ayudó a extinguir las llamas.

The strong wind helped to quench the flames.

The Silent 'U' Trick

Normally, the 'u' in 'gui' is silent. However, when the verb ending changes to an 'o' or 'a' (like in 'yo extingo'), we drop the 'u' entirely to keep that hard 'G' sound.

Formal vs. Informal

Use 'apagar' for household things like lamps or candles. Use 'extinguir' for professional or large-scale fire fighting.

Don't keep the 'U'

Mistake: “Yo extinguo las velas.”

Correction: Yo extingo las velas. We remove the 'u' before 'o' because it isn't needed to make the 'g' sound hard.

satisfacer

sa-tees-fa-SEHRsatis.faˈseɾ

verbB1general
Use 'satisfacer' when referring to fulfilling or satisfying a need, such as thirst, hunger, or curiosity.
A person happily drinking a glass of water after being thirsty.

Examples

Un vaso de agua fría puede satisfacer tu sed.

A glass of cold water can satisfy your thirst.

Esta comida no logró satisfacer mi hambre.

This food didn't manage to satisfy my hunger.

Queremos satisfacer las necesidades de nuestros clientes.

We want to meet our customers' needs.

Ella leyó el libro para satisfacer su curiosidad.

She read the book to satisfy her curiosity.

The 'Hacer' Rule

This word is conjugated exactly like the common verb 'hacer' (to do/make). If you know that 'hacer' becomes 'hice' in the past, you'll know 'satisfacer' becomes 'satisfice'.

Using regular endings

Mistake: “Yo satisfací”

Correction: Yo satisfice. Because it follows the 'hacer' pattern, it uses a special 'i' spelling in the past instead of the regular 'í'.

Extinguir vs. Satisfacer for 'to quench'

Learners often confuse 'extinguir' and 'satisfacer' because both can relate to 'quenching.' Remember that 'extinguir' is for putting out fires or intense desires, while 'satisfacer' is for fulfilling needs like thirst or hunger.

Related Translations

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