Sofocarlos

Question

Does anybody know what this translates as? I know that sofocar is to suffocate but cannot find any conjugated form ending in -los.

Answer 1

While literally, yes, sofocarlos does mean to suffocate them. In reality it's much more context based.

When discussing -- forest fires, for example -- "los bomberos han estado trabajando para sofocarlos", this example is a more literal sense of sofocarlos. The firefighters are extinguishing the fires, i.e. they're suffocating the fires.

While on the other hand -- the intro to Pan's Labyrinth -- "Escondidos en las montañas, grupos armados siguen combatiendo al nuevo régimen fascista, que lucha para sofocarlos", this is much less literal, with sofocarlos meaning something more along the lines of suppress, or exterminate [the resistance].

Welcome to SpanishDict. This question is from 2008. It would be great to have you share your information in a new thread. :) - rac1, Mar 29, 2015

Answer 2

"Sofocarlos" would say "to suffocate them". Voy a sofocarlos....I'm going to suffocate them.

Answer 3

Thanks, I guess it is a compression of sofocar and los then.