adivinar
/ah-dee-vee-NAR/
to guess
When you try to find the answer to a question without knowing for sure, you adivinar (guess).
adivinar(verb)
to guess
?solving a puzzle or question
,to figure out
?understanding a situation
to solve (a riddle)
?specifically for 'adivinanzas'
📝 In Action
Intenta adivinar mi edad. ¡Es imposible!
A2Try to guess my age. It's impossible!
No pude adivinar la respuesta correcta del juego.
A2I couldn't guess the correct answer to the game.
¿Cómo adivinaste que iba a llamarte?
B1How did you know (figure out/guess) I was going to call you?
💡 Grammar Points
Regular -AR Verb
This verb is easy because it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. Just remember the endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.
When to use 'Adivinar'
Use 'adivinar' when you are making a guess based on intuition or limited information, rather than using 'calcular' (to calculate) which implies math or logic.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Adivinar' and 'Averiguar'
Mistake: "Using 'adivinar' when you mean 'to find out' (averiguar) by investigation or research."
Correction: Use 'adivinar' only for guessing. If you found the information, say 'Averigüé la verdad' (I found out the truth).
⭐ Usage Tips
A common game starter
A great way to start a guessing game is: '¡Adivina, adivinador!' (Guess, guesser!).
To try and know what will happen in the future is to adivinar (predict).
adivinar(verb)
to predict
?forecasting an event
,to foretell
?referring to the future or prophecy
to divine
?archaic or formal religious context
📝 In Action
La gitana adivinó que me casaría antes de fin de año.
B1The gypsy predicted that I would get married before the end of the year.
Parece que el meteorólogo adivinó el clima de esta semana.
B2It seems the meteorologist predicted the weather this week.
💡 Grammar Points
Used with 'Que'
When 'adivinar' introduces a full idea about the future, it is followed by 'que' and usually the future tense or conditional tense (depending on certainty): 'Adiviné que llovería' (I predicted it would rain).
⭐ Usage Tips
Forecasting vs. Guessing
While both meanings use the same verb, use context to determine if the speaker is making an everyday guess (A2) or claiming knowledge of the future (B1).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: adivinar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'adivinar' in the sense of predicting the future, rather than just guessing an answer?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'adivinar' used for solving simple math problems?
Not usually. 'Adivinar' implies intuition or lack of information. For math or logic puzzles where you calculate a definitive answer, you would use 'calcular' (to calculate) or 'resolver' (to solve).
How do I ask someone to guess something in Spanish?
The easiest way is '¿Adivina qué...?' (Guess what...?) or using the imperative: 'Adivina la fecha' (Guess the date).