How to Say "to swallow" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to swallow” is “tragar” — use 'tragar' for the common, physical act of moving food or liquid from your mouth down your throat, especially if you feel pain or difficulty while doing so.
tragar
trah-GAHRtɾaˈɣaɾ
Examples
Me cuesta tragar saliva cuando estoy nervioso.
I find it difficult to swallow my saliva when I'm nervous.
Me duele la garganta al tragar.
My throat hurts when I swallow.
Tienes que masticar bien antes de tragar la comida.
You have to chew well before swallowing the food.
Se tragó el vaso de agua de un solo golpe.
He gulped down the glass of water in one go.
The 'G' to 'GU' Spelling Rule
To keep the 'hard G' sound (like in 'game'), the letter 'g' changes to 'gu' whenever the next letter is an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense (tragué) and in the special forms used for commands and wishes.
Using 'Se' for Emphasis
When someone eats or drinks something completely and quickly, Spanish often uses 'se tragar' (reflexive) instead of just 'tragar'. For example: 'Se tragó el café' (He downed the coffee).
Spelling the Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo tragé ayer.”
Correction: Yo tragué ayer. You must add a 'u' after the 'g' to keep the correct sound before the 'e'.
ingerir
een-heh-REERiŋxeˈɾiɾ
Examples
El médico recomendó no ingerir alcohol durante el tratamiento.
The doctor recommended not to ingest alcohol during the treatment.
El paciente no debe ingerir nada sólido antes del examen.
The patient must not ingest anything solid before the exam.
Es peligroso ingerir alcohol mientras se toman estos antibióticos.
It is dangerous to consume alcohol while taking these antibiotics.
Las aves marinas pueden morir al ingerir plásticos del océano.
Seabirds can die by swallowing plastics from the ocean.
The Stem Change
This verb has a 'double life' for the letter 'e'. In most present tense forms, the 'e' becomes 'ie' (like 'ingiero'). However, in the 'nosotros' form of the special mood (subjunctive) and the third-person past tense, it changes to just 'i' (like 'ingirieron').
Don't use it at dinner
Even though it means 'to eat' or 'to drink,' using 'ingerir' at a restaurant would sound like you are a robot or a doctor. Stick to 'comer' or 'beber' for daily life.
Forgetting the 'i' change
Mistake: “Ellos ingerieron mucha agua.”
Correction: Ellos ingirieron mucha agua. (In the past tense for 'they', the 'e' must change to an 'i').
Ingerir vs. Tragar
Related Translations
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