Spanish word

congelar

Pronunciation

IPA/koŋxeˈlaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbfreeze

Example

Voy a congelar la sopa para mañana.

I'll freeze the soup for tomorrow.

Illustration for congelar (freeze)

More examples

Prefiero congelar las sobras para tener comida lista cuando no tengo tiempo.

I prefer to freeze the leftovers to have food ready when I don't have time.

Core concept

Making something become frozen, physically or figuratively.

Common phrases

  • congelar las sobras

    freeze the leftovers

  • congelar la fruta

    freeze the fruit

  • congelar el pescado

    freeze the fish

Similar words

helar: Water or surfaces freeze when the air temperature drops.
congelarse: Liquids or objects become solid by freezing on their own.
enfriar: Reduces an item's temperature so it becomes cold without freezing.
refrigerar: Keeps food cold at above-freezing temperatures to preserve it.

Definition in Spanish

Hacer que algo se congele bajando su temperatura; por extensión, inmovilizar o detener algo en sentido figurado.

Word origin

From Latin congelāre (con- 'together' + gelāre 'to freeze'), originally meaning to cause something to freeze.

Usage tips

  • Typically transitive: use congelar + object to mean cause freezing, use congelarse when something freezes on its own; also common figuratively to immobilize things like accounts.

Opposites

Related words

  • congelamientofreezingnoun
  • congelablefreezableadjective
  • congeladofrozenadjective

Word lists with this word