actuar
“actuar” means “to act” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to act, to perform
Also: to play a role
📝 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.
to act, to behave
Also: to proceed
📝 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.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: actuar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'actuar' in the sense of 'taking official steps'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin verb *actuāre*, meaning 'to perform, to put into action,' which itself is derived from *actus* ('a deed or action').
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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.