Spanish Conversation · Level 130
60 words
Spanish word
poblar
Pronunciation
IPA/poˈβlaɾ/
Meaning
- verbpopulate
Example
El gobierno quiere poblar las zonas rurales.
The government wants to populate the rural areas.
More examples
El ayuntamiento quiere poblar de gente el centro histórico.
The city council wants to fill the historic center with people.
Core concept
A once-empty village gaining families and houses.
Common phrases
poblar de gente
fill with people
poblar la ciudad
populate the city
Similar words
vivir: Lives in a place and carries out everyday activities and routines.
habitar: Resides in a dwelling, plot of land, or natural habitat.
asentar: Settles people permanently to found a community or establish a base.
repoblar: Repopulates a once-depopulated area by bringing people back to live there.
Definition in Spanish
Lograr que un territorio o emplazamiento pase a estar habitado, ya sea por asentamiento de personas o por crecimiento demográfico.
Word origin
From Latin populare 'to people', based on the root popul- 'people', it enters Spanish through the Romance languages and means to make a place inhabited.
Usage tips
- The reflexive poblarse expresses 'become populated', and poblar de + noun indicates a place filled with people, animals, or objects.