desechar
Lemma Details
Translation: to discard; to reject; to throw away; to dispose of; to dismiss
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Derived from the Latin 'disjectare', an intensive form of 'disjicere' meaning 'to throw apart' or 'to scatter'. The prefix 'des-' (from Latin 'dis-') indicates separation or negation, while 'echar' comes from Latin 'jactare' meaning 'to throw'. The English word 'eject' shares the same Latin root 'jactare', making it a distant cognate.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 40%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Deseché los papeles viejos.
I threw away the old papers.
El comité desechó su propuesta.
The committee rejected his proposal.
No deseches esa idea tan rápido.
Don't dismiss that idea so quickly.
Hay que desechar los envases en el contenedor adecuado.
You should dispose of the containers in the appropriate bin.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'des-' (un-) + 'echar' (to throw) = 'to throw away'
- Remember 'desechar' sounds a bit like 'discharge' which has a similar meaning of getting rid of something
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries with growing environmental awareness, 'desechar' is increasingly used in contexts related to proper waste disposal and recycling education.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Desechar' means to discard or reject, while 'deshacer' means to undo or take apart.
Notes: Both verbs start with 'des-' which often indicates negation or reversal in Spanish.
Mnemonic: 'Desechar' has 'ech' like 'echar' (to throw), so it's about throwing away. 'Deshacer' has 'hacer' (to do), so it's about undoing.
Explanation: 'Deshechar' is actually a common misspelling of 'desechar'. The correct form is 'desechar' without the 'h'.
This word:
Vamos a desechar estos muebles viejos.
We're going to throw away these old pieces of furniture.
Notes: This is one of the most common spelling mistakes in Spanish because 'echar' doesn't have an 'h' but many people mistakenly add one.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'desechar' comes from 'echar' which has no 'h'.