How to Say "to sap" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to sap” is “debilitar” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
La fiebre alta debilitó al paciente durante la noche.
The high fever weakened the patient during the night.
No dejes que los comentarios negativos debiliten tu confianza.
Don't let negative comments undermine your confidence.
El ejercicio intenso puede debilitar tus músculos si no descansas.
Intense exercise can weaken your muscles if you don't rest.
Action vs. Result
Use 'debilitar' when you are the one making something weak. If you want to say 'to become weak,' you must add 'se' at the end: 'debilitarse'.
Regular Pattern
This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, so it has no spelling surprises in its forms.
Confusing Verb and Adjective
Mistake: “Él es debilitar.”
Correction: Él está débil (He is weak) or La enfermedad lo debilitó (The illness weakened him). 'Debilitar' is the action, 'débil' is the description.
Related Translations
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