actuar
/ak-TOO-ar/
to act
Actuar when performing in theater or film.
actuar(verb)
to act
?performing in theater/film
,to perform
?as a player or artist
to play a role
?figurative or literal
📝 In Action
Mi hermana sueña con actuar en Broadway.
A2My sister dreams of acting on Broadway.
El director dijo que tienes que actuar con más emoción.
B1The director said you have to perform with more emotion.
⭐ Usage Tips
Performing Arts Terminology
Use 'actuar' specifically when referring to a scripted role. For general stage performance (like singing or dancing), you might use 'presentarse' or 'dar un espectáculo' instead.
Actuar when taking action or intervening in a situation.
actuar(verb)
to act
?to take action or intervene
,to behave
?conduct oneself
to proceed
?in a legal or official capacity
📝 In Action
Cuando hay una emergencia, hay que actuar sin dudar.
B1When there is an emergency, one must act without hesitation.
El abogado tiene derecho a actuar en nombre de su cliente.
B2The lawyer has the right to act on behalf of their client.
Mi perro actuó muy mal con la visita.
A2My dog behaved very badly with the visitors.
💡 Grammar Points
Simple Conjugation Rule
Even though 'actuar' looks regular, remember that an accent mark appears on the 'u' (actúo, actúa, actúe) in most present tense forms to make the pronunciation clear and put stress on that syllable.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'Actuar' and 'Hacer'
Mistake: "Using 'hacer' when you mean 'to behave' or 'to take action' in a general sense."
Correction: 'Actuar' is better for deliberate actions or behavior; 'hacer' is usually for specific tasks ('hacer la tarea').
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: actuar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'actuar' in the sense of 'taking official steps'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'actuar' sometimes have an accent mark on the 'u' (actúo) and sometimes not (actuamos)?
This happens to keep the sound pattern consistent. The accent mark (act**ú**o, act**ú**as) is needed to force the stress onto the 'u' and separate it from the 'a', which is how the word is usually pronounced. In the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms (actuamos, actuáis), the stress naturally falls elsewhere, so the accent mark disappears.