Spanish Conversation · Level 83
59 words
Spanish word
quemar
Pronunciation
IPA/keˈmaɾ/
Meaning
- verbburn
Example
Voy a quemar las hojas del jardín.
I'm going to burn the leaves in the garden.
More examples
Baja el fuego o vas a quemar la comida.
Lower the heat or you're going to scorch the food.
Core concept
Object consumed by flames, leaving char and ash.
Common phrases
quemar la comida
scorch the food
quemar la basura
burn the rubbish
quemar calorías
burn calories
Similar words
arder: Be on fire, burning with visible flames.
encender: Ignite material or a device to make it start burning.
chamuscar: Singe a surface lightly, leaving small blackened scorch marks.
tostar: Brown food or seeds with dry heat to develop color and aroma.
Definition in Spanish
Expresa someter algo al fuego o al calor hasta dañarlo, carbonizarlo o consumirlo, o bien experimentar ese daño (quemarse).
Word origin
Comes from Iberian Romance and is cognate with Portuguese queimar, and in Spanish it names the action of applying fire or heat so something is damaged, carbonized, or consumed.
Usage tips
- Often used reflexively as quemarse to mean 'to be burned', and also used figuratively in phrases like quemar etapas where the meaning is not literal.