acionálo

acionálo is a Spanish verbal phrase used as an affirmative imperative meaning “activate it” or “turn it on,” formed from the verb accion ar (to actuate, to trigger) plus the direct object pronoun lo. In many dialects that use voseo, such as parts of Argentina and Uruguay, the imperative for vos is accented to indicate stress, yielding forms like accioná. The phrase is commonly found in instructions, manuals, and informal speech referring to starting or enabling a device, mechanism, or system.

Etymology and grammar: accion ar derives from acción (action) and the verb construction for acting or operating something. When a direct object pronoun is added, lo refers to the object being activated. The result “accionálo” (often written as accionálo or, in some spellings, accionálo) places the stress on the verb stem and marks the pronoun as a suffix. In standard tú-based Spanish, the equivalent forms would be acciona lo or actívalo, depending on the verb and context.

Regional usage: The form is characteristic of dialects that use the vos form, particularly Rioplatense Spanish. Writers in other regions typically use different imperatives such as acciona eso or actívalo, depending on the device and register. Some variants spell the word without the double c (accionálo vs. accionálo), though pronunciation remains similar.

Examples:

- Accionálo y revisa si se enciende.

- Antes de empezar, accionálo para activar el sistema.

Related terms: accionamiento (actuation), activar, activar funcio namiento, encender (to turn on). See also instructions for use, manuals, and commands in Spanish-language technical documentation.