apagar

Apagar is a Portuguese verb with meanings centered on removing a current state, most commonly to extinguish something, to switch off a device, or to erase material or digital traces. In daily language it appears in physical contexts such as apagar a luz (to turn off the light), apagar o fogo (to extinguish a fire), or apagar uma vela (to blow out a candle). It is also used in the digital realm to delete information, as in apagar arquivos or apagar mensagens on a computer or smartphone.

In addition to these senses, apagar can be used metaphorically to indicate suppressing or reducing something, such as fading memories, quieting rumors, or stopping a harmful effect. The reflexive form apagar-se expresses that the subject itself goes out or fades, as in o fogo apagou-se (the fire went out) or a vela apagou-se sozinha (the candle went out by itself). The verb has a wide range of contexts, including practical actions, technology workflows, and figurative language.

Conjugation and morphology: apagar is a regular -ar verb in Portuguese, following typical patterns for tempo and mood across tenses. Its principal forms include eu apago, tu apagas, ele apaga, nós apagamos, eles apagam; the past participle is apagado and the gerund is apagando. Etymology: the word is shared with Spanish apagar; in both languages it denotes extinguishing or erasing, with roots in Iberian Romance languages and related Latin terms.