provocan

Provocan is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb provocar, meaning to provoke, incite, or cause. It is used with plural subjects such as ellos, ellas, or ustedes, and translates to “they provoke” or “you all provoke” in contexts where ustedes is used.

Etymology and forms: Provocar comes from Latin provocare, literally “to call forth” or “to challenge.” In Spanish, it follows regular -ar verb conjugation patterns, with the present indicative forms: provo co, provocas, provoca, provocamos, provocáis, provocan. The related noun provocación refers to the act of provoking or a provocation.

Usage notes: Provocar describes causing a reaction, a change, or an agitation, and can apply to physical effects, emotional responses, or social consequences. It is commonly used with nouns such as daños, conflictos, reacciones, or indignación. Examples: “Las políticas provocan cambios significativos” (The policies provoke significant changes) and “Las protestas provocan retrasos” (The protests provoke delays). The verb can also take a direct object when paired with a noun (provocar daños, provocar un conflicto). When referring to provoking a person, the construction provoke a alguien uses the preposition a: provocar a alguien.

See also: provocar, provocación, provocador.