talar
verbCEFR B1
What does “talar” mean in English?
to fell / to cut down
to fell / to cut down (chop a tree down at the base — talar árboles, talar el bosque)
Example sentences
Cada año se talan millones de hectáreas de bosque tropical para convertir el terreno en pastizales o cultivos agrícolas.
Every year millions of hectares of tropical forest are felled to convert the land into pasture or agricultural crops.
Está prohibido talar estos árboles centenarios sin un permiso especial del ayuntamiento, y la multa es muy alta.
It is forbidden to fell these century-old trees without a special council permit, and the fine is very high.
Si siguen talando el bosque a este ritmo, en veinte años no quedará ningún árbol en esa zona.
If they keep felling the forest at this rate, in twenty years there will not be a single tree left in that area.
How to use it
Talar means 'to fell' or 'to cut down' (a tree) — to chop a tree down at the base so it falls. It is a regular -ar verb. Key collocates: talar árboles, talar el bosque, la tala ilegal. The related noun la tala refers to the felling activity. Talar is specific to trees and forests; for other cutting actions, use cortar.
Common mistake
Talar specifically means to fell a tree (cutting it down completely). It is not the same as podar (to prune, cutting branches while the tree stands) or cortar madera (to cut wood). The noun la tala is used for the act of felling; la deforestación is the broader process of forest loss. Illegal logging is la tala ilegal, a fixed compound.