consumir
verbCEFR B1
What does “consumir” mean in English?
to consume
to consume (use up goods, energy, or resources — consumir menos plástico, consumir energía de forma responsable)
Example sentences
Si consumimos menos carne y más productos de temporada, nuestra huella de carbono se reduce de forma significativa.
If we consume less meat and more seasonal produce, our carbon footprint is reduced significantly.
Este modelo de teléfono consume mucha batería comparado con los de la competencia, lo que es un problema real.
This phone model consumes a lot of battery compared to competing models, which is a real problem.
La industria textil consume cantidades enormes de agua en el proceso de fabricación, algo que pocos consumidores saben.
The textile industry consumes enormous amounts of water in the manufacturing process, something few consumers know.
How to use it
Consumir means 'to consume' — to use up goods, energy, or resources. It is a regular -ir verb. At B1 it is used in both the environmental sense (consumir menos plástico, consumir energía) and the broader economic sense (consumir productos locales). Key collocates: consumir de forma responsable, consumir menos, el consumo (the noun).
Common mistake
Consumir and gastar are near-synonyms in the energy/resource context, but consumir is more neutral and academic while gastar implies spending or wasting (gastamos demasiada energía = we waste too much energy). The noun el consumo (consumption) is used in both statistical contexts (el consumo de agua) and consumer culture discourse (la sociedad de consumo). El/la consumidor/a is the noun for a consumer.