enterrar

Enterrar is a Spanish verb that denotes placing someone or something in the ground and covering it with earth, typically to secure a burial or interment. It also has figurative meanings, such as concealing, suppressing, or delaying something. In everyday language, the term can apply to objects (enterrar un tesoro), to the burial of a body (entierro, sepultura), or to figurative uses like “enterrar un secreto” or “enterrar la cabeza en la arena.”

Conjugation and forms: enterrar is a regular -ar verb in its conjugation. Present indicative forms include: yo entierro, tú entierras, él/ella/Ud. entierra, nosotros enterramos, vosotros enterráis, ellos entierran. Preterite: enterré, enterraste, enterró, enterramos, enterrasteis, enterraron. The past participle is enterrado, and the gerund is enterrando. The verb also appears in reflexive form as enterrar(se) to express actions like “to bury oneself” in a figurative sense (por ejemplo, enterrar(se) en el trabajo).

Related terms and distinctions: the noun corresponding to the action is el entierro, often used for the burial ceremony, while inhumación is a formal or technical term for burial. Sepultar is a synonym with a nuance: some contexts prefer sepultar for the act of burying a corpse, while enterrar can be broader, including concealment or laying to rest other things. Common idioms include enterrar el hacha (to bury the hatchet), or enterrar la cabeza en la arena (to bury one’s head in the sand).

See also: burial, interment, inhumación.