How to Say "to traffic" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to traffic” is “traficar” — B1 level.
Examples
La policía detuvo a un hombre que intentaba traficar con animales exóticos.
The police arrested a man who was trying to traffic exotic animals.
Es un delito grave traficar con armas de fuego.
It is a serious crime to deal in firearms.
Antiguamente, muchos mercaderes solían traficar con seda y especias por esta ruta.
In the past, many merchants used to trade in silk and spices along this route.
Spelling Change Alert
When the 'c' in 'traficar' is followed by an 'e' (like in the past 'yo' form), it changes to 'qu' to keep the hard 'K' sound: 'trafiqué'.
The 'With' Connection
In Spanish, you almost always need the word 'con' (with) after this verb to say what is being traded: 'traficar con armas'.
Confusing Traffic and Trafficking
Mistake: “Me molesta mucho traficar por la mañana.”
Correction: Me molesta mucho el tráfico por la mañana.
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