Inklingo

How to Say "to till" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cavar

/kah-BAHR//kaˈβaɾ/

verbB2general
Use 'cavar' when referring specifically to the act of digging or hoeing the soil to prepare it for planting or cultivation.
A garden hoe loosening the soil around a small green leafy plant.

Examples

Es necesario cavar las vides en primavera.

It is necessary to hoe the vines in spring.

Context is Key

While 'cavar' usually means making a hole, in a vineyard or garden, it specifically refers to turning the soil to help plants grow.

trabajar

/tra-ba-HAR//tɾa.βaˈxaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'trabajar' when referring to the general act of working or processing a material, such as leather or land, not necessarily for planting.
A focused artisan shaping a piece of brown leather with simple hand tools on a wooden workbench.

Examples

El artesano trabaja el cuero con mucha habilidad.

The artisan works the leather with great skill.

Tenemos que trabajar más la presentación antes de la reunión.

We have to work on the presentation more before the meeting.

Los agricultores trabajan la tierra para prepararla para la siembra.

The farmers work the land to prepare it for planting.

A Verb that Takes an Object

In this sense, 'trabajar' usually needs something that receives the action. You don't just 'work', you 'work something' (the wood, the idea, the land).

General Work vs. Soil Preparation

The most common mistake is using the general verb 'trabajar' when the specific action of preparing soil for planting is intended. Remember 'cavar' is the precise term for tilling the earth for agriculture.

Related Translations

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