Inklingo

How to Say "trigger" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “trigger” is “disparar” — use 'disparar' when you mean to cause an event or reaction to start, especially something like an alarm, a trap, or a process..

English → Spanish

disparar

verbB1general
Use 'disparar' when you mean to cause an event or reaction to start, especially something like an alarm, a trap, or a process.

Examples

El mal tiempo puede disparar la tos de los asmáticos.

Bad weather can trigger the cough of asthmatics.

gatillo

gah-TEE-yo/ɡaˈtiʝo/

nounA2general
Use 'gatillo' specifically for the physical lever on a gun or other mechanism that you pull or press to activate it.
A close-up view of a metallic, curved lever trigger mechanism, designed to be pulled by a finger.

Examples

El policía agarró el gatillo con firmeza.

The police officer gripped the trigger firmly.

No pongas el dedo en el gatillo a menos que vayas a disparar.

Don't put your finger on the trigger unless you are going to shoot.

El gatillo de esta pistola de agua está roto.

The trigger on this water gun is broken.

Hay que apretar el gatillo de la bomba para que salga el jabón.

You have to squeeze the pump's lever for the soap to come out.

Gender Rule

Even though 'gatillo' ends in '-o', remember it is a masculine noun ('el gatillo').

Action vs. Physical Part

Learners often confuse 'disparar' and 'gatillo' because both relate to firing. Remember that 'disparar' is the VERB for causing something to activate, while 'gatillo' is the NOUN for the physical trigger mechanism itself.

Related Translations

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