Verb
/hɛɾˈβiɾ/
The verb hervir primarily means "to boil" in English. It is commonly used to describe the process of heating a liquid until it reaches its boiling point. In Spanish, hervir can also imply more figurative meanings, such as to bubble over with emotion. The word is widely used in both oral and written contexts, particularly in cooking and scientific discussions.
El agua comienza a hervir después de unos minutos.
(The water starts to boil after a few minutes.)
Para hacer la pasta, necesitas hervir el agua primero.
(To make the pasta, you need to boil the water first.)
Cuando la indignación comienza a hervir, es difícil controlarla.
(When indignation starts to boil, it is hard to control it.)
The verb hervir is often used in various idiomatic expressions:
Está hirviendo de rabia por la injusticia que sufrió.
(He is seething with rage because of the injustice he suffered.)
Hervir en su propia salsa
No puedo dejar que se hierve en su propia salsa toda la vida; necesita ayuda.
(I can't let him stew in his own juice forever; he needs help.)
Hervir de emociones
El ambiente en la fiesta hervía de emociones después de la noticia.
(The atmosphere at the party was boiling with emotions after the news.)
Dejar hervir hasta el punto de ebullición
The verb hervir comes from the Latin verb fervere, which also means "to boil" or "to bubble." Through the evolution of the Spanish language, it retained its core meaning associated with heat and bubbling.
Synonyms - Cocer (to cook) - Bullir (to bubble)
Antonyms - Enfriar (to cool) - Congelar (to freeze)