afundar

Afundar is a verb used in Portuguese and Spanish with the core meaning to sink or submerge something, usually a vessel or object, but also used figuratively to describe sinking into debt, trouble, or obscurity. It is transitive in both languages, as in afundar un barco (Spanish) or afundar um barco (Portuguese). The reflexive form afundarse (Spanish) or afundar-se (Portuguese) denotes sinking oneself or becoming overwhelmed, for example afundarse en deudas or afundar-se em problemas.

In usage:

- Physical sinking: to cause something to sink. Examples: "El barco se afundó tras la colisión" (Spanish) and "O navio afundou após a colisão" (Portuguese).

- Figurative sinking: afundar en deudas / afundarse em dívidas or afundarse en problemas.

- The term is often used with prepositional phrases to indicate the area of sinking, such as debt, problems, or obscurity, in both languages.

Conjugation notes:

- Portuguese present indicative: eu afundo, tu afundas, ele afunda, nós afundamos, vocês afundam. Preterite: eu afundei, tu afundaste, ele afundou.

- Spanish present indicative: yo afundo, tú afundes, él afunda, nosotros afundamos, vosotros afundáis, ellos afunden. Preterite: yo afundé, tú afundaste, él afundó.

Etymology:

The word derives from the prefix a- added to fundar, linked to Latin fundare/fundus, and shifted in meaning toward sinking or bringing to the bottom.