Encharcar

Encharcar is a Spanish verb that means to saturate or flood a surface with liquid, producing a wet or waterlogged condition. The action can be literal, such as saturating the ground, a floor, or an object with water or other liquids, or more expansive, describing the flooding of an area after heavy rainfall or overwatering. In some contexts, encharcar can also imply overfiling a container with liquid, causing overflow.

Etymology and usage notes: Encharcar likely derives from the noun charco (puddle) with the prefix en-, indicating making into or filling with liquid. The term is widely used in several Latin American regions and in rural or agricultural discourse. It tends to emphasize soaking or inundation rather than mere dampness.

Conjugation and forms: Encharcar is a transitive verb. Examples: encharcar un terreno con lluvia, encharcar un piso tras la fuga, o “quedó encharcado” para el estado resultante en lugar de la acción. The reflexive form encharcarse (se encharca) describes a surface o una prenda que se moja intensamente.

Regional contrasts: While common in various Latin American dialects, encharcar puede be less frecuente in some peninsular varieties, where mojar, empapar o inundar are more común. The exact preferencia regional puede variar según el contexto técnico, agrícola o doméstico.

Ver related terms: empapar, mojar, inundar, charco. Encharcarse puede coexistir con usos metafóricos que describen saturación o exceso en sentido figurado, según el contexto.