echar afuera
Lemma: echar afuera
Translation: to throw out; to expel; to kick out; to evict (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'.
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).