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"Desangrar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to bleed", and "sangrar" is an intransitive verb which is also often translated as "to bleed". Learn more about the difference between "desangrar" and "sangrar" below.
desangrar(
deh
-
sahng
-
grahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to bleed
El carnicero desangró al cerdo e hizo morcillas con la sangre.The butcher bled the pig and made blood sausages.
2. (figurative) (to drain financially)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. to bleed dry
El extorsionista desangró a Jaime con sus demandas de dinero.The blackmailer bled Jaime dry with his demands for money.
b. to bleed white
Los hijos de Leonor le piden tanto dinero que la están desangrando.Leonor's children ask her for so much money that they are bleeding her white.
desangrarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to lose a lot of blood
Tenemos que ponerle un torniquete en la herida porque la víctima está desangrándose.We need to apply a tourniquet to the wound man because the victim is losing a lot of blood.
b. to bleed to death
El accidente le causó heridas internas y la mujer se desangró.The woman sustained internal injuries in the accident and she bled to death.
c. to bleed out
Tenemos que llevarlo al hospital pronto o va a desangrarse.We need to get him to the hospital fast or he's going to bleed out.
sangrar(
sahng
-
grahr
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. to bleed
Mi hermano tiene gingivitis y le sangran las encías al cepillarse los dientes.My brother has gingivitis and his gums bleed when brushing his teeth.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to bleed
Hace mucho tiempo se utilizaban sanguijuelas para sangrar a los enfermos.A long time ago leeches were used to bleed sick people.
a. to tap
En Canadá, es común sangrar arces en marzo para obtener sirope.In Canada, it's common to tap maple trees in March for syrup.
4. (to tab)
a. to indent
En el trabajo, había que sangrar la primera línea del texto y usar una fuente determinada.For the work, I had to indent the first line of the text and use a specific font.
5. (colloquial) (to be left without money)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. to bleed dry
Las dos hipotecas que tengo que pagar me sangran cada mes.The two mortgages that I have to pay bleed me dry every month.
