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gastar

to spend

verb gahs-TAHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin vastare (to lay waste), with West Germanic influence.

Also means

to use up

Usage Note

Gastar means to spend money or to use up / wear out a resource (gastar energía, gastarse los zapatos). To 'spend time' is pasar el tiempo, never gastar tiempo. A less obvious idiom: gastar una broma = to play a prank on someone — a usage learners rarely expect.

Examples

"Gasta demasiado dinero en ropa."

Natural Translation

She spends too much money on clothes.

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