edificar
build
Definition & meaning
Edificar is a Spanish verb meaning “to build” or “to construct,” especially a building or other permanent structure.
- La empresa va a edificar un nuevo hospital. — “The company is going to build a new hospital.”
- Edificaron una casa cerca del río. — “They built a house near the river.”
It can also be used figuratively to mean to build up, establish, or develop something abstract, such as a relationship, society, reputation, or personal character.
- Edificar una sociedad más justa — “To build a fairer society”
- Edificar la confianza entre las personas — “To build trust between people”
In religious or formal contexts, edificar can also mean to edify or morally uplift someone.
Grammar & Word origin
- Part of speech: Verb
- Infinitive: edificar
- Conjugation: Regular -ar verb, with a spelling change from c to qu before e to preserve the hard /k/ sound:
- yo edifico
- tú edificas
- él/ella edifica
- yo edifique — “that I build”
- yo edifiqué — “I built”
The word comes from Latin aedificāre, meaning “to build.” It is related to edificio “” and edificación “.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- construir “” — the most common general synonym; edificar can sound more formal or literary.
- levantar “” — often used for raising or constructing a building.
- erigir “” — more formal and commonly used for monuments, institutions, or structures.
- crear “” — broader than edificar and often used for abstract things.
- fundar “” — focuses on establishing an institution, organization, or community rather than physically building it.
- edificar moralmente “” — specifically to inspire or improve someone morally or spiritually.
Antonyms
- demoler “” — to destroy a building deliberately.
- derribar “” — to cause a structure or something figurative to fall.
- destruir “” — the broadest opposite, applicable to both physical and abstract things.
- desmantelar “” — to take apart a structure, organization, or system.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Ellos edifican una casa nueva.verb
They build a new house.
Mañana edificaremos un pequeño refugio cerca del río.verb
Tomorrow we will build a small shelter near the river.
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