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provocar

to provoke

verb proh-boh-KAHR Common
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Also means

to cause

Usage Note

Provocar covers both deliberate provocation of a person and neutral causation of an event (provocar un incendio, 'to cause a fire'). In several Latin American countries, especially Colombia, it is also used colloquially to mean 'to feel like doing something' (¿Te provoca un café? = 'Do you feel like a coffee?'), a usage absent in Spain.

Examples

"Sus palabras provocaron una discusión."

Natural Translation

His words provoked an argument.

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