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"Surcar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to plow", and "arar" is a transitive verb which is also often translated as "to plow". Learn more about the difference between "surcar" and "arar" below.
surcar(
soor
-
kahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to plow (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
Los campesinos usaban caballos y bueyes para surcar los campos.The peasants used horses and oxen to plow the fields.
b. to plough (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
Los granjeros se despertaron al amanecer para surcar los campos.The farmers woke up at daybreak to plough the fields.
3. (literary) (to travel across)
A word or phrase restricted in usage to literature or established writing (e.g., sex, once upon a time).
a. to cut through
La lancha surcó el río con gran velocidad.The motorboat cut through the river at great speed.
b. to sail through (water)
El galeón español surcó los siete mares.The Spanish galleon sailed through the seven seas.
c. to fly through (the sky)
El OVNI surcó los cielos desapercibido.The UFO flew through the sky unnoticed.
arar(
ah
-
rahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to plow (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
El agricultor ara el campo para airear la tierra antes de cultivar.The farmer plows the field to aerate the soil before sowing crops.
b. to plough (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
En el altiplano algunos campesinos todavía aran la tierra con arado de pie.On the altiplano, some peasants still plough the land with a foot plough.
