empobrecer
Lemma Details
Translation: to impoverish; to make poor; to become poor; to deplete
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From the Latin prefix 'in-' (meaning 'into' or 'toward') and 'pauper' (meaning 'poor'), which evolved into the Spanish prefix 'em-' and 'pobre' (poor). The suffix '-ecer' indicates a transformative process. The English cognate 'impoverish' shares the same Latin roots, with both words conveying the process of making something or someone poor or depleted.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
La crisis económica empobreció a muchas familias.
The economic crisis impoverished many families.
Las políticas de austeridad empobrecieron al país.
The austerity policies impoverished the country.
El suelo se empobrece cuando se cultiva en exceso.
The soil becomes depleted when it is over-cultivated.
Mnemonics
- Think 'em-poor-ecer' - the middle sounds like 'poor' in English
- Remember that 'em-' + 'pobre' + '-ecer' means 'to make or become poor'
- Connect it to the English 'impoverish' which has the same meaning and similar sound
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Often used in socioeconomic and political discussions about inequality and economic hardship. The concept of 'empobrecimiento' (impoverishment) is frequently discussed in Latin American social discourse.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'empobrecer' means 'to impoverish' or 'to make poor', 'enriquecer' means the opposite: 'to enrich' or 'to make wealthy'.
Confused word:
El descubrimiento de petróleo enriqueció a la región.
The discovery of oil enriched the region.
Notes: These verbs follow the same conjugation pattern as they both end in '-ecer'.
Mnemonic: 'Em-' starts 'empobrecer' and 'empty' - both involve reduction. 'En-' starts 'enriquecer' and 'enhance' - both involve increase.
Explanation: 'Empobrecer' means 'to impoverish' while 'embellecer' means 'to beautify' or 'to embellish'.
Notes: Both verbs have the prefix 'em-' indicating transformation and the suffix '-ecer' indicating a process.
Mnemonic: Think 'em-belle-cer' contains 'belle' (beautiful in French), while 'em-pobre-cer' contains 'pobre' (poor).