aprovechar

to take advantage of

aprovechar(ah-proh-beh-chahr)

transitive verb

1. (to make use of)

a. to take advantage of

Si quieres aprovechar el día, levántate más temprano.

If you want to take advantage of the day, get up earlier.

Aprovecharon el descuento para comprar los regalos de Navidad.

They took advantage of the discount to buy Christmas presents.

b. to make the most of

Me gusta aprovechar el tiempo que tengo de vacaciones.

I like to make the most of my vacation time.

c. to make good use of

Supimos aprovechar las instalaciones de la academia.

We knew how to make good use of the academy's facilities.

2. (to utilize)

a. to use

Aproveché el descanso para comprar el periódico.

I used the break to buy the newspaper.

intransitive verb

3. (to make use of; often used with "para")

a. to make the most of it

El bebé está durmiendo; aprovecha y tómate una ducha.

The baby is asleep. Make the most of it and take a shower.

b. to take the opportunity to

Aprovecha para viajar el mundo mientras seas joven.

Take the opportunity to travel the world while you're young.

aprovecharse

pronominal verb

4. (to exploit; used with "de")

a. to take advantage of

Se aprovechó de que eran extranjeros para cobrarles más.

She took advantage of the fact that they were foreigners to overcharge them.

5. (to abuse sexually; used with "de")

a. to take advantage of

Se la llevó a un callejón y se aprovechó de ella.

He took her to an alley and took advantage of her.

b. to abuse

Si una persona se aprovecha de un niño, irá a la cárcel.

If a person abuses a child, he or she will go to jail.