empachar

Galician

Etymology

Attested since 1459 (its derived term empacho since 1457). Borrowed from Old French empeechier, from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /empaˈt͡ʃaɾ/

Verb

empachar (first-person singular present empacho, first-person singular preterite empachei, past participle empachado)

1. to obstruct; to entangle; to stuff; to impede
   • 1459, A. López Carreira (ed.), Fragmentos de notarios, doc. 171:

     o qual o dito Ares diso que avia demandado o dito foro ao dito Gonçalvo Magosto et llo enpachava o dito Gonçalvo Magosto

     the aforementioned Ares said that he had demanded said contract from said Gonzalo Magosto and said Gonzalo Magosto was preventing him from it

   • c. 1596, anonymous author, Diálogo de Alberte e Bieito:

     De soldados os camiños enpachados, furtando carros e bestas, queimando caniços e zestas

     Of soldiers the roads are stuffed, stealing carts and mares, burning wattles and baskets

2. (pronominal) to overeat

Conjugation

    Conjugation of empachar

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	empachar
Personal	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharen
Gerund
	empachando
Past participle
Masculine	empachado			empachados
Feminine	empachada			empachadas
Indicative
Present	empacho	empachas	empacha	empachamos	empachades	empachan
Imperfect	empachaba	empachabas	empachaba	empachabamos	empachabades	empachaban
Preterite	empachei	empachaches	empachou	empachamos	empachastes	empacharon
Pluperfect	empachara	empacharas	empachara	empacharamos	empacharades	empacharan
Future	empacharei	empacharás	empachará	empacharemos	empacharedes	empacharán
Conditional	empacharía	empacharías	empacharía	empachariamos	empachariades	empacharían
Subjunctive
Present	empache	empaches	empache	empachemos	empachedes	empachen
Imperfect	empachase	empachases	empachase	empachásemos	empachásedes	empachasen
Future	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharen
Imperative
Affirmative		empacha	empache	empachemos	empachade	empachen
Negative (non)		non empaches	non empache	non empachemos	non empachedes	non empachen

    Reintegrated conjugation of empachar (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	empachar
Personal	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharem
Gerund
	empachando
Past participle
Masculine	empachado			empachados
Feminine	empachada			empachadas
Indicative
Present	empacho	empachas	empacha	empachamos	empachades, empachais	empacham
Imperfect	empachava	empachavas	empachava	empachávamos	empachávades, empacháveis, empachávais1	empachavam
Preterite	empachei	empachaste, empachache1	empachou	empachamos	empachastes	empachárom, empacharam
Pluperfect	empachara	empacharas	empachara	empacháramos	empachárades, empacháreis, empachárais1	empacharam
Future	empacharei	empacharás	empachará	empacharemos	empacharedes, empachareis	empacharám, empacharão
Conditional	empacharia	empacharias	empacharia	empacharíamos	empacharíades, empacharíeis, empacharíais1	empachariam
Subjunctive
Present	empache	empaches	empache	empachemos	empachedes, empacheis	empachem
Imperfect	empachasse	empachasses	empachasse	empachássemos	empachássedes, empachásseis	empachassem
Future	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharem
Imperative
Affirmative		empacha	empache	empachemos	empachade, empachai	empachem
Negative (nom)		nom empaches	nom empache	nom empachemos	nom empachedes, nom empacheis	nom empachem

¹Less recommended.

Derived terms

• empacho (“obstacle”)

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “enpachar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “enpach”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “empachar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “empachar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “empachar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “empachar”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2025
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “empachar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Occitan

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French empeechier, from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

• Audio (Languedoc):

  (file)

Verb

empachar

1. to prevent; to inhibit

Conjugation

    Lengadocian (Central Occitan)

		simple			compound
infinitive		empachar			aver empachat
gerund		empachant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		empachat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	empachi	empachas	empacha	empacham	empachatz	empachan
	imperfect	empachavi	empachavas	empachava	empachàvem	empachàvetz	empachavan
	preterite	empachèri	empachères	empachèt	empachèrem	empachèretz	empachèron
	future	empacharai	empacharàs	empacharà	empacharem	empacharetz	empacharàn
	conditional	empachariái	empachariás	empachariá	empachariam	empachariatz	empacharián
	conditional 2nd form1	empachèra	empachèras	empachèra	empacheram	empacheratz	empachèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	empache	empaches	empache	empachem	empachetz	empachen
	imperfect	empachèssi	empachèsses	empachèsse	empachèssem	empachèssetz	empachèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			empacha		empachem	empachatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Auvernhàs

		simple			compound
infinitive		empachar			aver empachat
gerund		empachant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		empachat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	empache	empaches	empacha	empacham	empachatz	empachon
	imperfect	empachave	empachaves	empachava	empachaviam	empachaviatz	empachavon
	preterite	empachere	empacheres	empachet	empachem	empachetz	empacheron
	future	empacharai	empacharàs	empachará	empacharem	empacharetz	empacharán
	conditional	empachariá	empachariás	empachariá	empachariam	empachariatz	empacharián
	conditional 2nd form1	empachèra	empachèras	empachèra	empacheram	empacheratz	empachèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	empache	empaches	empache	empachassiam	empachassiatz	empachon
	imperfect	empachesse	empachesses	empachesse	empachessiam	empachessiatz	empachesson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			empacha		empachassiam	empachatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Gascon

		simple			compound
infinitive		empachar			aver empachat
gerund		empachant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		empachat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	empachi	empachas	empacha	empacham	empachatz	empachan
	imperfect	empachavi	empachavas	empachava	empachàvam	empachàvatz	empachavan
	preterite	empachèi	empachès	empachè	empachèm	empachètz	empachèn
	future	empacharèi	empacharàs	empacharà	empacharam	empacharatz	empacharàn
	conditional	empacharí	empacharés	empacharé	empacharem	empacharetz	empacharén
	conditional 2nd form1	empachèra	empachèras	empachèra	empacheram	empacheratz	empachèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	empachi	empaches	empache	empachem	empachetz	empachen
	imperfect	empachèssi	empachèsses	empachèsse	empachèssem	empachèssetz	empachèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			empacha		empachem	empachatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Lemosin

		simple			compound
infinitive		empachar			aver empachat
gerund		empachant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		empachat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	empache	empachas	empacha	empacham	empachatz	empachan
	imperfect	empachava	empachavas	empachava	empachàvam	empachàvatz	empachavan
	preterite	empachei	empacheras	empachet	empachèram	empachèratz	empacheran
	future	empacharai	empacharàs	empachará	empacharem	empacharetz	empacharán
	conditional	empachariá	empachariàs	empachariá	empachariam	empachariatz	empacharián
	conditional 2nd form1	empachèra	empachèras	empachèra	empacheram	empacheratz	empachèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	empache	empaches	empache	empachem	empachetz	empachen
	imperfect	empachèsse	empachèsses	empachèsse	empachèssem	empachèssetz	empachèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			empacha		empachem	empachatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Provençau

		simple			compound
infinitive		empachar			aver empachat
gerund		empachant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		empachat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	empache	empaches	empacha	empacham	empachatz	empachan
	imperfect	empachavi	empachavas	empachava	empachàvem	empachàvetz	empachavan
	preterite	empachère	empachères	empachèt	empacheriam	empacheriatz	empachèron
	future	empacharai	empacharàs	empacharà	empacharem	empacharetz	empacharàn
	conditional	empachariáu	empachariás	empachariá	empachariam	empachariatz	empacharián
	conditional 2nd form1	empachèra	empachèras	empachèra	empacheram	empacheratz	empachèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	empache	empaches	empache	empachem	empachetz	empachan
	imperfect	empachèsse	empachèsses	empachèsse	empachessiam	empachessiatz	empachèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			empacha		empachem	empachatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

Related terms

• empedegar

Descendants

• → Catalan: empatxar
• → Italian: impacciare (through Provençal)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French empeechier, from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.paˈʃa(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.paˈʃa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.paˈʃa(h)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.paˈʃa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.paˈʃa(ɾ)/, (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.paˈʃa(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ẽ.paˈʃa(χ)], (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [ĩ.paˈʃa(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): (careful pronunciation) /ẽ.paˈʃa(ɻ)/, (natural pronunciation) /ĩ.paˈʃa(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɐˈʃaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɐˈʃaɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɐˈt͡ʃaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ẽ.pɐˈʃa.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: em‧pa‧char

Verb

empachar (first-person singular present empacho, first-person singular preterite empachei, past participle empachado)

1. to obstruct

   Synonyms: obstruir, impedir, obturar, tapar

   Antonyms: desobstruir, desimpedir

2. to overeat

   Synonym: empanturrar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of empachar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	empachar
Personal	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharem
Gerund
	empachando
Past participle
Masculine	empachado			empachados
Feminine	empachada			empachadas
Indicative
Present	empacho	empachas	empacha	empachamos	empachais	empacham
Imperfect	empachava	empachavas	empachava	empachávamos	empacháveis	empachavam
Preterite	empachei	empachaste	empachou	empachamos1, empachámos2	empachastes	empacharam
Pluperfect	empachara	empacharas	empachara	empacháramos	empacháreis	empacharam
Future	empacharei	empacharás	empachará	empacharemos	empachareis	empacharão
Conditional	empacharia	empacharias	empacharia	empacharíamos	empacharíeis	empachariam
Subjunctive
Present	empache	empaches	empache	empachemos	empacheis	empachem
Imperfect	empachasse	empachasses	empachasse	empachássemos	empachásseis	empachassem
Future	empachar	empachares	empachar	empacharmos	empachardes	empacharem
Imperative
Affirmative		empacha	empache	empachemos	empachai	empachem
Negative (não)		não empaches	não empache	não empachemos	não empacheis	não empachem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• empachado
• empachamento
• empacho

Further reading

• “empachar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “empachar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French empeechier, from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /empaˈt͡ʃaɾ/ [ẽm.paˈt͡ʃaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: em‧pa‧char

Verb

empachar (first-person singular present empacho, first-person singular preterite empaché, past participle empachado)

1. to obstruct
2. (colloquial, reflexive) to pig out, to stuff oneself (with food)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of empachar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			empachar
gerund			empachando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		empachado		empachada
		plural		empachados		empachadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	empacho	empachastú empachásvos	empacha	empachamos	empacháis	empachan
	imperfect	empachaba	empachabas	empachaba	empachábamos	empachabais	empachaban
	preterite	empaché	empachaste	empachó	empachamos	empachasteis	empacharon
	future	empacharé	empacharás	empachará	empacharemos	empacharéis	empacharán
	conditional	empacharía	empacharías	empacharía	empacharíamos	empacharíais	empacharían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	empache	empachestú empachésvos2	empache	empachemos	empachéis	empachen
	imperfect (ra)	empachara	empacharas	empachara	empacháramos	empacharais	empacharan
	imperfect (se)	empachase	empachases	empachase	empachásemos	empachaseis	empachasen
	future1	empachare	empachares	empachare	empacháremos	empachareis	empacharen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		empachatú empachávos	empache	empachemos	empachad	empachen
	negative		no empaches	no empache	no empachemos	no empachéis	no empachen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of empachar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive empachar	dative	empacharme	empacharte	empacharle, empacharse	empacharnos	empacharos	empacharles, empacharse
	accusative	empacharme	empacharte	empacharlo, empacharla, empacharse	empacharnos	empacharos	empacharlos, empacharlas, empacharse
with gerund empachando	dative	empachándome	empachándote	empachándole, empachándose	empachándonos	empachándoos	empachándoles, empachándose
	accusative	empachándome	empachándote	empachándolo, empachándola, empachándose	empachándonos	empachándoos	empachándolos, empachándolas, empachándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative empacha	dative	empáchame	empáchate	empáchale	empáchanos	not used	empáchales
	accusative	empáchame	empáchate	empáchalo, empáchala	empáchanos	not used	empáchalos, empáchalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative empachá	dative	empachame	empachate	empachale	empachanos	not used	empachales
	accusative	empachame	empachate	empachalo, empachala	empachanos	not used	empachalos, empachalas
with formal second-person singular imperative empache	dative	empácheme	not used	empáchele, empáchese	empáchenos	not used	empácheles
	accusative	empácheme	not used	empáchelo, empáchela, empáchese	empáchenos	not used	empáchelos, empáchelas
with first-person plural imperative empachemos	dative	not used	empachémoste	empachémosle	empachémonos	empachémoos	empachémosles
	accusative	not used	empachémoste	empachémoslo, empachémosla	empachémonos	empachémoos	empachémoslos, empachémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative empachad	dative	empachadme	not used	empachadle	empachadnos	empachaos	empachadles
	accusative	empachadme	not used	empachadlo, empachadla	empachadnos	empachaos	empachadlos, empachadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative empachen	dative	empáchenme	not used	empáchenle	empáchennos	not used	empáchenles, empáchense
	accusative	empáchenme	not used	empáchenlo, empáchenla	empáchennos	not used	empáchenlos, empáchenlas, empáchense

Derived terms

• empacho

Further reading

• “empachar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025