Inklingo
Dictionary

ahorrar

ah-oh-RRAHR (roll the 'rr')a.oˈraɾ

“ahorrar” means “to save (money)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to save (money)A1Verb

setting aside funds

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to save (time/effort)B1Verb

to avoid spending or wasting

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to save (money)Also: to put aside, to accumulate

VerbA1regular ar
A close-up illustration of a shiny gold coin being dropped into the slot of a red ceramic piggy bank.
infinitiveahorrar
gerundahorrando
past Participleahorrado

📝 In Action

Quiero ahorrar suficiente dinero para viajar a España el próximo año.

A1

I want to save enough money to travel to Spain next year.

¿Cuánto dinero ahorras al mes?

A1

How much money do you save per month?

Mi abuela siempre ahorraba monedas en una caja de galletas.

A2

My grandmother always saved coins in a cookie jar.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • gastar (to spend)
  • derrochar (to squander)

Common Collocations

  • ahorrar en el banco – to save in the bank
  • ahorrar para el futuro – to save for the future

to save (time/effort)Also: to conserve, to spare

VerbB1regular ar
A cheerful cartoon gardener efficiently pushes a blue wheelbarrow piled high with brown soil across a green lawn, demonstrating reduced effort compared to carrying the soil.

📝 In Action

Tomar la autopista nos ayuda a ahorrar tiempo.

A2

Taking the highway helps us save time.

Debemos ahorrar agua y electricidad en casa para proteger el medio ambiente.

B1

We must conserve water and electricity at home to protect the environment.

Este nuevo sistema nos ahorra mucho esfuerzo.

B2

This new system saves us a lot of effort.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • economizar (to economize)
  • conservar (to conserve)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ahorrar energía – to save energy
  • ahorrar pasos – to save steps (to take a shortcut)

Indicative

Preterite

yoahorré
túahorraste
él/ella/ustedahorró
nosotrosahorramos
vosotrosahorrasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesahorraron

Present

yoahorro
túahorras
él/ella/ustedahorra
nosotrosahorramos
vosotrosahorráis
ellos/ellas/ustedesahorran

Imperfect

yoahorraba
túahorrabas
él/ella/ustedahorraba
nosotrosahorrábamos
vosotrosahorrabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesahorraban

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoahorre
túahorres
él/ella/ustedahorre
nosotrosahorremos
vosotrosahorréis
ellos/ellas/ustedesahorren

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoahorrara
túahorraras
él/ella/ustedahorrara
nosotrosahorráramos
vosotrosahorrarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesahorraran
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Often confused with guardarverbs

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ahorrar" in Spanish:

to accumulateto conserveto spare

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ahorrar

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'ahorrar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
el ahorro(the saving; savings (the money itself)) — Noun
ahorrador(saver; thrifty (person or thing)) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes
trabajarhablar
📚 Etymology

This word has deep roots in Arabic. It comes from the Arabic word 'ḥarrūr' (or a related form) meaning 'to set free' or 'to liberate,' which evolved in Spanish to mean 'to put aside' or 'to keep safe,' specifically financially.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: aforrar

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'ahorrar' and 'salvar'?

'Ahorrar' means to save money, time, or resources (to conserve or reserve). 'Salvar' means to save a person, an animal, or a life (to rescue). Remember: You 'ahorras dinero' but you 'salvas vidas'.

How do I say 'my savings'?

The noun for 'savings' is 'el ahorro' (singular) or 'los ahorros' (plural) when referring to the accumulated money.