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andan

AHN-dahn/ˈan.dan/

they walk, you all walk (formal)

Also: they go, they roam
VerbA1irregular (in past tenses) ar
Three cartoon people walking forward side-by-side on a sunny park path, illustrating physical movement.
past Participleandado
infinitiveandar
gerundandando

📝 In Action

Los niños andan muy rápido para llegar al parque.

A1

The children walk very fast to get to the park.

Ustedes andan sin paraguas bajo la lluvia.

A2

You all are walking without umbrellas in the rain.

¿Por dónde andan tus amigos? No los veo.

A2

Where are your friends going? I don't see them.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • andar a pie – to walk (by foot)
  • andar rápido – to walk fast

they work, they run

Also: they function
VerbB1irregular (in past tenses) ar
A close-up view of three large, brightly colored mechanical gears meshing and rotating smoothly.
past Participleandado
infinitiveandar
gerundandando

📝 In Action

Los motores andan mejor después del mantenimiento.

B1

The engines work better after maintenance.

Dicen que sus negocios andan muy bien este trimestre.

B2

They say their businesses are running very well this quarter.

Las computadoras andan lentas hoy; hay un problema en la red.

B1

The computers are running slow today; there's a network problem.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • funcionar (to function)
  • marchar (to run/go)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • andar mal – to run badly
  • andar a toda máquina – to run full speed

they are feeling, they are involved with

Also: they are wearing
VerbB2irregular (in past tenses) arinformal
Mexico
Two cartoon children sitting next to each other, both smiling widely and looking content, illustrating a state of feeling.
past Participleandado
infinitiveandar
gerundandando

📝 In Action

Ellos andan de vacaciones en la playa, por eso no contestan.

B2

They are on vacation at the beach, that's why they don't answer. (They are busy with vacationing)

¿Cómo andan de salud? Espero que mejor.

C1

How are they doing health-wise? I hope better.

Dicen que andan con problemas financieros muy serios.

C1

They say they are dealing with very serious financial problems.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estar (to be (temporary state))
  • traer (to wear (regional))

Common Collocations

  • andar con cuidado – to proceed carefully
  • andar de prisa – to be in a hurry

Idioms & Expressions

  • andar por las ramas – to beat around the bush (avoid the main point)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/ustedandaba
túandabas
vosotrosandabais
yoandaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesandaban
nosotrosandábamos

present

él/ella/ustedanda
túandas
vosotrosandáis
yoando
ellos/ellas/ustedesandan
nosotrosandamos

preterite

él/ella/ustedanduvo
túanduviste
vosotrosanduvisteis
yoanduve
ellos/ellas/ustedesanduvieron
nosotrosanduvimos

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/ustedanduviera/anduviese
túanduvieras/anduvieses
vosotrosanduvierais/anduvieseis
yoanduviera/anduviese
ellos/ellas/ustedesanduvieran/anduviesen
nosotrosanduviéramos/anduviésemos

present

él/ella/ustedande
túandes
vosotrosandéis
yoande
ellos/ellas/ustedesanden
nosotrosandemos
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: andan

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'andan' to describe how a machine is performing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
andar(to walk/go) — Verb
andén(platform (train/bus)) — Noun
andante(walker; walking (tempo)) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin verb *ambitare* (to go around), which itself derived from the Latin *ambulare* (to walk). Over time, the middle 'mb' sound disappeared, leaving us with 'andar'.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: andarFrench (Old): ander

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'andan' a regular verb form?

The form 'andan' (present tense) is perfectly regular based on the infinitive 'andar'. However, the verb 'andar' itself is considered irregular because its past tense forms (like 'anduve' in the preterite) have unexpected spelling changes.

Can 'andan' always be replaced by 'caminan'?

No. While 'andan' can mean 'they walk' (like 'caminan'), 'andar' has broader meanings, such as 'to function' (Los carros andan bien) or 'to be in a state' (Andan de fiesta). 'Caminar' only means physical walking.