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alterar

al-te-RAR/alteˈɾaɾ/

to change

Also: to modify, to disrupt
VerbB1regular ar
A row of blue birds with one bird painted bright red.
gerundalterando
past Participlealterado
infinitivealterar

📝 In Action

No queremos alterar el orden de las presentaciones.

B1

We don't want to change the order of the presentations.

El ruido de la calle alteró mi concentración.

B1

The street noise disrupted my concentration.

Pequeños cambios pueden alterar el resultado final.

B2

Small changes can modify the final result.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • alterar el orden – to change the order
  • alterar los planes – to change plans

to upset

Also: to agitate
VerbB2regular ar
A startled cat with its fur standing up and wide eyes.
gerundalterando
past Participlealterado
infinitivealterar

📝 In Action

No le digas nada malo, no queremos alterarlo.

B1

Don't tell him anything bad, we don't want to upset him.

Se altera fácilmente cuando hay mucho tráfico.

B2

He gets agitated easily when there is a lot of traffic.

La cafeína me altera los nervios.

B2

Caffeine makes me feel jittery/agitated.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inquietar (to disturb/worry)
  • poner nervioso (to make nervous)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • alterar los nervios – to get on someone's nerves

to tamper with

Also: to doctor
VerbC1regular arformal
A hand using a magnifying glass to look at a drop of spilled ink on a paper.
gerundalterando
past Participlealterado
infinitivealterar

📝 In Action

Fue acusado de alterar documentos oficiales.

C1

He was accused of tampering with official documents.

Es ilegal alterar el cuentakilómetros del coche.

C1

It is illegal to doctor the car's odometer.

Alguien intentó alterar las pruebas del crimen.

C2

Someone tried to tamper with the evidence of the crime.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • verificar (to verify)
  • autenticar (to authenticate)

Common Collocations

  • alterar pruebas – to tamper with evidence
  • alterar resultados – to doctor results

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesalteraran
yoalterara
túalteraras
vosotrosalterarais
nosotrosalteráramos
él/ella/ustedalterara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesalteren
yoaltere
túalteres
vosotrosalteréis
nosotrosalteremos
él/ella/ustedaltere

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesalteraron
yoalteré
túalteraste
vosotrosalterasteis
nosotrosalteramos
él/ella/ustedalteró

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesalteraban
yoalteraba
túalterabas
vosotrosalterabais
nosotrosalterábamos
él/ella/ustedalteraba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesalteran
yoaltero
túalteras
vosotrosalteráis
nosotrosalteramos
él/ella/ustedaltera
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "alterar" in Spanish:

to agitate→to doctor→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: alterar

Question 1 of 3

If you 'alteras' the order of a line of people, what are you doing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
alteración(alteration/disruption) — Noun
alterado(altered/upset) — Adjective
inalterable(unchangeable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'alterare', which comes from 'alter' meaning 'other'. Essentially, it means 'to make something other than what it was'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: alterFrench: altérer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'alterar' the same as 'cambiar'?

Not exactly. 'Cambiar' is the general word for 'change'. 'Alterar' is more specific; it often implies disrupting a natural state, making someone nervous, or tampering with something.

Can I use 'alterado' as an adjective?

Yes! If someone is 'alterado', they are visibly upset, nervous, or agitated.

Does 'alterar' always have a negative meaning?

Mostly, yes. It usually implies that a balance has been broken, a person is no longer calm, or a document has been illegally modified.