disparar

Disparar is a Spanish verb with several related meanings centered on the action of releasing or causing something to be set into motion, often involving a projectile, a camera, or a mechanism. It is used in both literal and figurative contexts and appears across different Spanish-speaking regions.

In its primary sense, disparar means to fire or discharge a weapon or other projectile. It is commonly used with firearms or artillery and is transitive, requiring an object such as un arma, un rifle, or un cañón. Examples include disparamos o disparó al blanco. This sense can also extend to other devices that release or activate something, such as disparar un detonador or disparar un cohete, indicating a literal opening of a discharge.

Disparar can also denote taking a photograph or recording video. In everyday language, people say disparar una foto or disparar una grabación, though tomar una foto is also common. In this sense, the word emphasizes the moment of capture or initiation of a shot.

A further use is figurative: disparar can describe a rapid increase or triggering of a process. For instance, el precio disparó means the price climbed sharply, and una alarma se dispara when a sensor is activated. In technical writing, dispara can describe a device being triggered or started.

Conjugation: present yo disparo, tú disparas, él dispara; pasado simple disparé, disparaste, disparó; subjuntivo disparé, dispares, dispare; gerundio disparando; participio disparado.