echar afuera
Lemma Details
Translation: to throw out; to expel; to kick out; to evict
Part of Speech: verb phrase
Etymology: Combines the verb 'echar' (to throw, to cast) with the adverb 'afuera' (outside, out). 'Echar' comes from Latin 'iactare' (to throw, to hurl), while 'afuera' derives from Latin 'ad' (to) + 'foras' (outside). The combination creates a phrasal verb that literally means 'to throw to the outside'.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Si no pagas el alquiler, el casero te echará afuera.
If you don't pay the rent, the landlord will evict you.
El portero echó afuera a los borrachos del bar.
The doorman threw the drunk people out of the bar.
Echaron afuera a todos los estudiantes después del incidente.
They expelled all the students after the incident.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'echar' as 'to chuck' and 'afuera' as 'a-far' - you're chucking something far away from you.
- Imagine someone yelling 'GET OUT!' while making a throwing motion with their arms.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
This phrase is commonly used in domestic situations, landlord-tenant contexts, and social settings where someone is being removed from a place. It can range from literal physical removal to metaphorical exclusion from a group.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'echar afuera' means to throw out or expel, 'echar de menos' means to miss someone or something.
This word:
El propietario echó afuera a los inquilinos morosos.
The owner evicted the delinquent tenants.
Notes: These phrases use the same verb 'echar' but with completely opposite emotional connotations - one is rejection, the other is longing.
Mnemonic: 'Afuera' points outward (throwing out), while 'de menos' suggests something is missing.
Explanation: Both mean to remove something, but 'echar afuera' often implies forceful expulsion or rejection, while 'sacar afuera' is more neutral, simply meaning to take something outside.
Confused word:
Saqué afuera la basura.
I took out the trash.
Notes: 'Sacar afuera' is sometimes considered redundant since 'sacar' already implies movement to the outside.
Mnemonic: 'Echar' suggests throwing (forceful), while 'sacar' suggests extracting or removing (more controlled).