Verbs Flashcards
Correr
To run (with legs or also run a business or project) / execute / perform
Similar to the various definitions that run has in English.
Reír
to laugh
risa = laughter
Mostrar
To show
Mirar
To look
Pensar
To think
To contemplate
To ponder
To consider
To reflect
Venir
To come
Luchar / Pelear
To fight
Dormir
To sleep
Decir
To say
Caminar
To walk
Lavar / bañar
To wash / bathe or wash the body
Vivir
To live
Dar
To give
Conocer
To meet
To know somebody
Disfrutar
To enjoy
Amar
To love
Querer
To want
To love or desire
Pagar
To pay
Comprar
To buy
To shop
Esperar
To hope
To wait
To expect
Buscar
To search
To look for
Encontrar
To find
Conducir
To drive or to lead a team or process (i.e. driving the team forward)
Comer / Devorar
To eat / devour
Beber
To drink
Hablar
To speak
Hacer
To do
To make
Leer
To read
Escribir
To write
Nadar
To swim
Enviar
To send
To ship
Cantar
To sing
Bailar
To dance
Viajar
To travel
Preocupar
To worry
Trabajar
To work
Practicar
To practice
Ir
To go
Salir
To leave
To go out with or date a girl/guy
(e.g., Salgo con su hermana = I’m going out with/dating his sister)
It’s an irregular verb in the present tense, which is why it’s “salgo” in the example above.
Abrir
To open
Cerrar
To close
Poder
Can (e.g., I can do it.)
To be able to
Tratar / Tratar de
To treat
or behave toward / to try (like intentar)
The “de” changes the entire meaning.
Poner
To put
To set
To place
To add
The verb poner is a giant verb, and goes with many, many expressions of daily and constant use.
Pongo = Yo pongo > I put (in, on, down, through), I set (up), I show, I get, I fit up, I lay, I drive, I invest, I adjust, I switch, turn (on), I contribute, I invest, I bet, I translate, I send, I make, I state, I equip, I cause, I provoke, I place, I connect, I give, I assign, I pose, I raise, I suppose, I install, I say, I take, I exercise, I appoint, I call, I expose, etc….
Me pongo = Yo me pongo > I put myself, I place myself, I become, I get, I turn, I dress, I wear, I bet with, I shall be, I shall arrive, I take a job as, I start, etc….
Ganar
To win
To earn
To beat (e.g., to beat someone in a game)
Crear
To create
To make
To develop
Crecer
To grow something / to grow up (from a child to an adult)
Olvidar
To forget
To neglect
Tocar
To touch
To play an instrument
Tener sed
To be thirsty
Tener hambre
To be hungry
Gustar
To like
Creer
To think
(Relatively shallow thinking vs. pensar)
Imaginar
To imagine
Ver
To see
Preguntar
To ask
Escuchar
To listen
To hear
Comenzar
To begin
To commence
To initiate
To launch
Romper
To break
Entender
To understand
Comprender
To understand
Desayunar
To eat breakfast
Cambiar
To change
To exchange
To switch
To modify
Saber
To know
To realize
Detener
To physically stop somebody or something.
To detain / arrest
To stop doing something without force. Like stop talking, walking, etc.
Atrapar
To trap
To catch
To ensnare
Estar atrapar = to be trapped
Mentir
To lie
Liar = mentiroso
Tomar
To take
Usually for abstract things, e.g., take a test, take a picture, etc.
Also means to “take in” something, e.g., to take in dinner sun, to take pills, to take in something to eat/drink, etc. This is why the dictionary includes “to drink” for tomar.
To take physical things, always use “coger”.
Significar
To mean
To signify
To imply
Sentirse
To feel
Note: The present tense conjugation is the same as Sentarse, which can be confusing because they look exactly the same in that case.
Sentarse
To sit
Note: The present tense conjugation is the same as Sentirse, which can be confusing because they look exactly the same in that case.
Llevar
To carry
To bring
To take (with you)
To get along with somebody (llevarse con alguien)
Llegar
To arrive
To get
To obtain
To acquire
To earn
To reach
Besar
To kiss
Hacer el amor
To make love
To have sex (romantic)
To cuddle
Quemar
To:
Burn
Burn down
Scorch
Incinerate
Entrar
To enter
Continuar
To continue
Manejar
To drive
To handle (e.g. a vehicle)
To manage
Empezar
To start
To commence
To begin
Synonym: Comenzar
Enseñar
To teach, instruct, educate
Odiar
To hate
Saltar
To jump
Recibir
To receive
Traducir
To translate
Estar equivocado
To be wrong
Preferir
To prefer
Lastimar
To:
Hurt
Damage
Synonym: Dañar
Cocinar
To cook
Ducharse
(Reflexive)
Me ducho
Te duchas
Se ducha
To shower
Levantarse
(Reflexive)
Me levanto
Te levantes
Se levanta
To get up
To wake up
Respirar
To breathe
Ignorar
To ignore
Reparar
To repair / fix
Terminar / Acabar / Finalizar
To end / complete / finalize
This can be to end virtually anything, including relationships, e.g., to break up, you would say, “¿Porque terminó conmigo?” (Why did he break up with me?)
All these words are essentially synonymous with subtle differences like in English.
Medir
To measure
Traer / Servir
To bring / Fetch
Costar
To cost
E.g., ?Cuanto cuesta el sombrero?
“Cuesta” is the conjugated form of Costar.
Descansar
To rest
Pedir / Solicitar
To ask for
To order (e.g., a restaurant)
Pedir matrimonio = ask for marriage
To solicit
It’s not synonymous with preguntar because here we are asking for something specific (a loan, some food, etc).
Pasar
To spend time doing something / pass an object to somebody / pass away (die) / pass around / relay / and many other uses
Montar
To ride
Decidir
To decide
Mezclar
To blend/ mix
Aprobar
To approve
To pass (a test)
To endorse
Repetir
Irregular
To repeat
I repeat: yo repito
You repeat: tu repites
He repeats: el repite
Llorar
To cry
Esconder
To hide
Tener ganas de
To feel like (doing something)
To want (to do something)
Tener miedo
To be afraid / to have fear
Probar
To try
Tentar
To entice
To tease
To tempt
Intentar / Tratar de
To attempt
To intend
To try
Without de, Tratar means to treat somebody a certain way.
Fundir
To melt
Fallar / Fracasar
To fail
Both mean to fail and are often synonymous, but Fracasar also means to break down and fail more physically.
Compartir
To share
Suponer
To suppose
To guess
Irregular: 1st person conjugation: supongo
Estar Agradecido
To be grateful
Aclarar
To clarify / clear up
Desarrollar
To develop
To elaborate
To evolve
Sanar / Curar
To heal
/ cure
apoyar / respaldar
to support / back up / sustain
Concentrarse
To concentrate
Rogar
To beg
To plead
Orar
To pray
Mejorar
To improve
Responder / Contestar
To respond
To answer (e.g., answer a call)
Quedarse / Quedar
To stay / remain
To suit/fit/look good on somebody in the context of clothes, e.g., that red dress suits (looks good on) you = te queda el vestido roja.
It also means to “arrange to meet” or “get together”, among other things. This link has a pretty good summary of how versatile this verb is:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/quedar-vs-quedarse.html
Encender
To turn on / ignite
Can be used to turn anything on, e.g., lights, TV etc.
Rentar / Alquilar
To rent
To hire
Apagar
To turn off
To mute / silence
To douse
Abrumar
To overwhelm / crush / swamp / exhaust
Evitar
To avoid / evade / prevent / circumvent
Nacimir
To be born
Interpretar
To interpret
Afectar
To affect
Ser honrado
To be honored
Girar / Doblar
To turn
Doblar also means to bend or fold.
Lastimar / Heridar
To hurt / injure (e.g., to hurt somebody)
Lastimar is more common
Contar
To count
To tell
(often to recount a story or experience; in fact the word for “story” and “fairy tale” is “cuento”)
Irregular; cuenta
Cubrir
To cover / drape (e.g., a blanket or towel)
Borrar
To erase / delete
Relajarse
To relax
Salvar
To save
Descuidar
To neglect
It’s the opposite of Cuidar
Cuidar
To be careful / look after / pay attention to
Superar
To overcome
Elegir
To choose / select / elect
Dañar
To damage / harm / hurt
Exponer
To expose
Expuesto = exposed
Irregular verb
Respetar
To respect
Matar / Asesinar
Kill / Assassinate / Murder
Incluir
To include
Perder
To lose / waste
Tirar / Botar / Lanzar
To throw / throw away / launch
Tirar also means to pull in done contexts.
In Colombia, tirar is slang for to fuck or have sex. So make sure the context is clear.
Pull is a relatively uncommon usage of tirar in LATAM (Halar is more common for pull), but in Spain tirar is still a common verb for pull.
Almorzar
To have lunch
Irregular:
Yo almuerzo
Él almuerza
Nosotros almorzamos
Ellas almuerzan
Desayunar
To have breakfast
Conjugate:
Yo desayuno
Él desayuna
Nosotros desayunamos
Ellos desayunan
Interesar
To be interested
(It doesn’t require any preposition like de or en. In this regard, it’s like conocer.)
Agregar
To add
Lograr
To achieve
Llenar
To fill up / make full (e.g., te llene de alegría = fill you with joy)
Tragar / Engullir
To swallow / gobble (gulp, guzzle)
Arreglar
To fix
e.g., Arreglo el problema. = I fix the problem.
Arreglaré el problema. = I will fix the problem.
Discutir
Discuss
Temer
To fear
This is a synonym of Tener miedo, but temer is a bit more formal and less frequently used.
Dejar
To let / allow / abandon / leave behind / to be stood up on a date
Dejar has many meanings depending on the context, but overall, it’s about letting something be/go.
Gestionar
To manage (people, operations, etc.)
Diseñar
To design
Suceder / Ocurrir
To happen / occur
Alcanzar
To catch up to
To achieve
Often used interchangeably with lograr, but alcanzar is more often used for material achievements like racing and climbing in the physical world.
Aumentar / Incrementar
To increase / augment
Aumentar is a bit more commonly used.
Unir
To unite / join / connect together
Rendirse
To surrender / give up
Cepillar
To brush
Quejarse
To complain / moan / grumble / gripe
Huir de
To run away from / escape from / evade from
Huida = flight (i.e., fight or fight)
Respaldar
To support / back up (with evidence or support)
Impidar
To impede / prevent
Confiar
To trust / rely / entrust
Coger
To take
Usually used only for physical things, which is different than tomar, which is often used to take abstract things.
To catch (e.g., catch a cold)
Nevar
To snow
Merecer
To deserve
Irregular first person = merezco
Prestar
To loan / lend / give
Alimentar
To feed / nourish
Mover / Mudar
To move (motion) / to move between homes (e.g. I moved to another house.)
Morir
(Irr)
To die
Oponer (se)
To oppose / stand against / object to
Regalar
To give a gift (or something nice in general)
regalo = gift (or the present tense first person conjugation of regalar)
Casar
To marry
Sacar
To take out
To take away
To get (eg, sacar buen grados)
E.g., take out the trash or the take away (a point) from a conversation.
Note: Tomar is more like take in or take with, but they are sometimes used interchangeably.
Parar /pararse
Parar = stop / halt
Pararse = to stand up
To stop doing something, not to stop somebody forcefully. Use detener for that.
Avecinarse
To approach / loom
Usually applied to events and dates, not people. But there is a famous TV show called LA QUE SE AVECINA
La Que Se Avecina (The One Who Approaches) that apparently applies it to the main character of the show in a ironic way.
Añadir
To add / append
Resfriarse
To catch a cold / illness
Caer
To fall
Contrastar
To contrast / compare
Dibujar
To draw
Recordar / Acordarse de
To remember
Both words are basically synonymous, but Acordarse is reflexive and requires “de”. Think of Acordarse as “reminding <>” where the blank is the pronoun of the indirect person object (me/le/les/nos).
Soñar
To dream
Sueño = the noun “dream”
Convertir
To convert / become / transform
It’s used as “become” a lot.
Acostarse
To go to bed / lay down
Tardar
To take time
E.g., ¿Cuántos minutos tarda llegar al parque¿
Enfocar
To focus
Agradecer
To thank deeply and be grateful
This is a stronger sentiment than gracias, but not as strong as Apreciar.
Apreciar
To appreciate / deep gratitude
This sentiment is a bit stronger than Agradecer. Apreciar relates to appreciating the fundamental essence and value of something or someone.
Resumir
To summarize
Fluir
To flow
Vagar
To wander / roam
Proveer / Disponer
To provide / arrange
Atraer
Attract / lure /
Reflejar / Reflexionar
Reflejar = to reflect light or energy or objects, but not mental reflection.
Reflexionar = To reflect mentally, ponder, consider, think deeply, etc
Apostar
To bet / wager
Halar / Jalar
To pull
Sometimes tirar is also used for pull, especially in Spain.
Jalar is not commonly used for pull, but it is occasionally. It also has many other meanings.
Navegar
To navigate
Obtener / Conseguir
To get / obtain / acquire
Sometimes llegar is also used for get, but it’s primarily for getting results, achieving, arriving, etc.
Empujar
To push
Recoger
To pick up / collect
Guardar
To save / keep
Contemplar
To contemplate
Cumplir
To fulfill / comply
Descubrir
To discover / uncover / detect / find out
Comprobar
To check / test / verify / prove / make sure
Confrontar / Enfrentarse
To confront / face against
Establecer
Establish / set up / create an entity or department
Fijar
To affix / pin up / put on a wall
Señalar
To point out / signal / mark
Defender
To defend / protect / uphold / guard
Dedicar
To dedicate
Durar
To last / endure
Sufrir
To suffer
Entregar
To deliver / give / hand over
Quitar
To remove / take away / take off / and many other similar concepts
Transigir
To compromise / make concessions (both in the context of negotiations)
Many sources say “comprometer” (the verb) and “compromiso” the noun mean to “compromise”, but they mean something closer to obligation and jeopardize, respectively. So always use Transigir for communicating compromise in negotations.
Halagar
To flatter
Interactuar
To interact
Grabar
To record / engrave
Works for recording media of any kind.
Controlar
To control
Permitir
To permit / allow / let / empower
Corromper
To corrupt
Encadenar
To shackle / put in chains or on a leash
Desencadenar
To unleash / unshackle / trigger / provoke
Asar
To roast or grill food
Mantener
To keep / maintain / hold / lock in
Apuñalar
To stab / puncture
Evolucionar
To evolve / develop
Juzgar
To judge / asses
Culpar
To blame / accuse
Vestirse
To get dressed
Meditar
To meditate
Desvanecer (se)
To fade / dissipate
Compensar
To compensate
Percibir
To perceive
Destruir
To destroy
Seguir
To continue / follow / keep doing / pursue
Entrenar
To train / coach
Influir
To influence
Encabezar
To lead
Jurar
To pledge / vow / swear under oath
Maldecir
To swear or curse with profanity
Prometer
To promise
Chupar
To suck
Chuparse
To suck in a sexual way / go down on somebody
Adivinar
To guess / to divine an answer to a deep question
Complacer
To please / indulge / oblige / placate / accommodate / humor somebody
Vestir / Vestirse
To wear / dress in clothes
Encajar
To fit or fit into
Avanzar
To move forward / advance / proceed
Asegurar
To ensure / assure / insure / secure / warrant
Gastar
To spend / expend money
Always with money. To spend time, use pasar.
Reunir
To meet / gather / come together
Callar
To be quiet
Cállate = be quiet
Prosperar
To prosper / thrive / flourish
Acostumbrar
To be accustomed to
Oler
To smell
Reseñar
To review
Alegrar
To cheer up
Asombrar
To amaze / astonish
Chocar
To hit / crash / collide / clash
Desechar
To discard / throw away like trash
Ofrecer
To offer
Predecir
To predict
Divertir / entretener
To have fun / entertain / amuse
Entristecer
To sadden
Resucitar / Reanimar
To resurrect / revive
Enamorar
To fall in love
Dispar
Dissipate / Dispel
Estirar
To stretch
Consolar
To console / comfort / give solace
Ejecutar
To execute / perform / implement / run / manage
Just like in English
Pecar
To sin / transgress / go astray /trespass
Estornudar
To sneeze
Toser
To cough
Modificar
Modify / change / alter / adjust
Atribuir
To attribute / ascribe
Interrumpir
To interrupt / disrupt
Disminuir / reducir / bajar
To decrease / diminish / reduce / lower
Derramar
To spill
Verificar
To verify
Perturbar
To disturb / perturb / bother
Advertir
To warm / caution / tip off
Advertir
To warm / caution / tip off
Fortalecer
To strengthen / fortify / reinforce
Aprovechar
To positively take advantage of an opportunity or thing / harness the power or value of something / tap into
Ayudar / Asistir
To help / assist / attend to
Planear
To plan
Robar
To steal / rob / take without permission
Brillar
To shine / glow / sparkle / shimmer
Morder
To bite
Explotar / Estallar
To explode / burst
Estallar also = erupt / outbreak
Rescatar
To rescue
Descargar
Download
Asustar / Espantar
To scare / frighten / startle
Vencer
To defeat / overcome
Elevar / Alzar
To lift or raise
Basically synonymous with levantar in many cases, but only levantarse can be mean to get up from bed.
Entrevistar
To interview
Alejarse
Walk/move/recede away from something
Irrespetar / Falta de respeto
Disrespect
Torcer
Twist
Emocionar / Ilusionar / Excitar
Emocionar= provocar emociones, movilizar sentimientos, ya sea de alegría, tristeza, etc.
Ilusionar= generar ilusión, esperanza, expectativas
Excitar= puede referirse a emocionarse sexualmente, pero también puede usarse en otros sentidos, como por ejemplo una extrema alegría e incluso para describir un comportamiento exaltado de otra índole, no humana (biología = una reacción química que provoca que las células se exciten )
Espero que mi explicación te haya resultado clara
Latir / Pulsar
To beat or throb / pulse
Like a heart or signal.
Empacar
To pack
Secar
To dry
seca = the noun dry
Gritar
Shout / scream / yell
Enterarse
To find out about / discover
Traicionar
To betray (e.g., a traitor)
Aconsejarse
To advise
Extrañar
To miss or long for something/person.
Subir / Subirse
To upload or rise / to get on (in)
The reflexive form is frequently used for “to get on/in” any form of transportation or on top of something.
Reemplazar
To replace
Decepcionar / Defraudar
To disappoint or let down / Defraud or disappoint
Decepcionar is a false cognate for “deception” in English. I’ve checked this several times and decepcionar has nothing to do with negative and deliberate deception.
Note: Defraudar is frequently used as “disappoint”, but it also can mean the negative concept of defraud, depending on the context.
Permanecer
To remain or stay in a given place or state of being, e.g., permanecer en prisión = remain in prison.
Pudrir
To rot or decay
Rechazar
To reject
Apurar
To hurry
Derribar
To bring/knock/pull down
E.g., knocking down a door or building
Realizar
To perform
It also means to realize like English, but it’s more common to say
apretar / exprimir
to squeeze / crush / tighten / grasp / clinch
Nalgadar
To spank on the butt.
Nalgadas = spanking
Merecer
To merit / deserve
Merecido = deserved
Prever
To foresee / anticipate / forecast / foreshadow / envisage
Presumir
To show off / brag
Arrepentirse
To regret
Desperdiciar
To waste / throw away
Tolerar
To tolerate
Perdonar
To forgive
Tumbarse
To lie down
The non-reflexive version means to topple, knock down, overthrow, fall.
Cobrar
To collect / charge (money or crime) / receive / get
Memorizar
To memorize
Corregir
To correct
Sueler
To tend (i.e. a tendency) / usually
Estar al tanto
To be aware / abreast / tuned in / in the loop
Hundirse
To sink
Revelar
To reveal
Dudar
To doubt
Vacilar
To vacillate
Gemir
To moan (a sound of pain or pleasure)
Trasladar
To transfer
Almacenar
To store (e.g., store information, goods, etc.)
Experimentar
To experience
Engañar
To deceive
Ahogar
To drown
Asamblar / Juntar
To assemble / put together
Embrujar
To haunt
Contratar
To hire
Malgastar
To waste
Patear
To kick
Deshacerse
To get rid of / discard
Salpicar
To splash
comportar / portarse / tratar
To behave
proporcionar
To provide, supply
Caber
To fit
give birth
dar luz
Literally to give light.
abrochar
tighten / buckle / fasten
echar
to throw / cast / kick out
brindar
to offer / present / make a toast
rasgar
rip / tear apart
aprender
to learn
Pegar
To glue, paste, stick to, cement
