Using the Verb 'Gastar'

The Spanish verb gastar conveys the idea of something being used or consumed and can be translated to English in a variety of ways.

A common translation is "to use" in the sense of "to consume":

• Un coche eléctrico no contamina ni gasta gasolina. An electric car neither pollutes nor uses gasoline.
• Este monitor LCD gasta 30 watts. This LCD monitor uses 30 watts.
• Dormir gasta pocas calorias. Sleeping uses up few calories.

Of course, you can translate differently depending on the context. In the first and third sentences, for example, you could use the verb "burn."

When talking about money, "to spend" is usually a preferable translation:

• Se gastó la mitad antes de la boda y la otra mitad los dos semanas siguientes. Half was spent before the wedding and the other half in the two weeks following.
• Confesó que gastaba 1.000 dólares en bebidas. He admitted that he spent $1,000 on drinks.
• México gasta más en telefonía que en leche. Mexico spends more on telephone services than on milk.

In context, gastar can be used to refer to something being used up or worn out:

• La pila se gastó a los tres días de tenerlo. The battery was used up after having it for three days.
• Gastaba rápido el tacón de la bota izquierda. The heel of the left boot wore out quickly.

In context, gastar can mean "to waste." Malgastar is also used with this meaning.

• Una llave abierta gasta mucha agua. Cada minuto más de 10 litros se van por el drenaje. An faucet left running wastes a lot of water. Each minute more than 10 liters go down the drain.
• Mi carro está gastando 1 litro de aceite cada 15 días. My car is burning up a liter of oil every two weeks.

Gastar can refer to the wearing of clothing:

• En zapatos gasto normalmente un 40. I normally wear a size 40 shoe.
• Gastaba una camisa excesivamente larga. He was wearing a shirt that was way too big.

The phrase gastar una broma (a alguien) means "to play a joke (on someone)": El destino me gastó una broma macabra. Fate played a sick joke on me.

Gastarlas usually means "to behave" or "to act": Así las gastan a veces los animales. That's what animals do sometimes.