Forgetting 'Me', 'Te', 'Le'

This verb often works 'backwards' from English. Instead of saying 'I care about your opinion', you say 'A mí me importa tu opinión' (To me, your opinion matters). The thing that matters is the star of the sentence.

A 'Backwards' Verb, Like 'Gustar'

Use the phrase '¿Te importa si...?' followed by a verb. For example, '¿Te importa si me siento aquí?' (Do you mind if I sit here?). It's a very natural and polite way to ask for permission.

How to Politely Ask 'Do you mind?'

Extremely common. 'No importa' is one of the first phrases you'll learn and use daily.

When 'importar' means bringing goods into a country, it acts like a regular '-ar' verb. The person or company doing the action is the subject: 'Yo importo', 'Tú importas', etc.

A Normal, Well-Behaved Verb

To tell this meaning apart from 'it matters', look for words related to business or countries, like 'empresa' (company), 'país' (country), 'productos' (products), or 'aduanas' (customs).

Look for Context Clues

Common in contexts of business, economics, and news.

Learn the two main meanings of 'importa' in Spanish: 'it matters' and 'he/she imports'. See full conjugation tables, examples, and common mistakes for the verb 'importar'.

importar

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

future

imperfect

conditional

preterite

imperative

negative

affirmative

subjunctive

present

imperfect

Practice Conjugations