tappare

Tappare is an Italian verb of the first conjugation (ending in -are) that means to plug, seal, or close an opening by means of a stopper or other seal. It is used for both literal sealing of physical openings and more general blocking or closing of gaps, holes, or passages. The verb can also refer to sealing a container, such as a bottle, to prevent leakage or spoilage.

Common senses include sealing a leak or opening (tappare una fessura, tappare una perdita), stopping a drain or pipe, and corking or sealing a bottle (tappare una bottiglia di vino). It can also be used in a figurative sense, notably in expressions like tappare la bocca, meaning to silence someone. While less common in everyday speech, tappare can describe boarding up or blocking a window or other opening, though more specific verbs like sigillare or chiudere are often preferred in such contexts.

Conjugation and usage notes: tappare is transitive and typically takes an object (something being sealed). The auxiliary in compound tenses is avere (ho tappato, hai tappato, ha tappato, abbiamo tappato, avete tappato, hanno tappato). Present tense forms are: io tapp o, tu tapp i, lui/lei tapp a, noi tapp iamo, voi tapp ate, loro tapp ano. In the passato remoto (literary past) the forms are tappai, tappasti, tappò, tappammo, tappaste, tapparono. The participle is tappato, used with avere to form the passato prossimo and other compound tenses.

Etymology: tappare derives from the noun tappo, meaning stopper or cork, reflecting the action of inserting a stopper to seal an opening. Related terms include sigillare (to seal firmly) and chiudere (to close). The verb is widely understood across Italian varieties and is commonly used in domestic, mechanical, and industrial contexts.