How to Say "to suffocate" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to suffocate” is “ahogar” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El socorrista salvó al niño que se estaba ahogando.
The lifeguard saved the boy who was drowning.
El humo del incendio me estaba ahogando.
The smoke from the fire was suffocating me.
Ten cuidado con ese trozo de carne, no te vayas a ahogar.
Be careful with that piece of meat, don't choke.
The Spelling Change Rule
When 'g' meets 'e', it usually changes its sound. To keep the hard 'g' sound in words like 'ahogué', we add a silent 'u' after the 'g'.
Doing it to Yourself
Use the reflexive form 'ahogarse' (adding 'me', 'te', 'se', etc.) when someone is drowning or choking themselves by accident.
Wrong Spelling in Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo ahogé en la piscina.”
Correction: Yo ahogué. You must add the 'u' so it doesn't sound like 'aho-hay'.
Related Translations
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