Inklingo
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aspirar

as-pee-RAHR/as.piˈɾaɾ/

to breathe in, to inhale

Also: to sniff
VerbA2regular ar
A child standing in a field of flowers, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.
gerundaspirando
past Participleaspirado
infinitiveaspirar

📝 In Action

Aspira profundamente por la nariz.

A2

Breathe in deeply through your nose.

Me gusta aspirar el aroma del café por la mañana.

B1

I like to inhale the aroma of coffee in the morning.

El médico me pidió que aspirara con fuerza.

B2

The doctor asked me to inhale with force.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • exhalar (to exhale)
  • espirar (to breathe out)

Common Collocations

  • aspirar profundamente – to breathe in deeply
  • aspirar aire puro – to breathe fresh air

to aspire to, to aim for

VerbB1regular ar
A small child looking up at a mountain peak where a golden trophy sits.
gerundaspirando
past Participleaspirado
infinitiveaspirar

📝 In Action

Ella aspira a ser una gran científica.

B1

She aspires to be a great scientist.

Muchos jóvenes aspiran a un trabajo mejor.

B1

Many young people aim for a better job.

No puedes aspirar al éxito sin trabajar duro.

B2

You cannot aspire to success without working hard.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pretender (to intend/claim)
  • ambicionar (to be ambitious for)

Antonyms

  • conformarse (to settle/be satisfied with)
  • renunciar (to give up)

Common Collocations

  • aspirar a un cargo – to aim for a position
  • aspirar a la presidencia – to aspire to the presidency

to vacuum

VerbA2regular ar
Spain
A person pushing a vacuum cleaner across a colorful rug.
gerundaspirando
past Participleaspirado
infinitiveaspirar

📝 In Action

Tengo que aspirar la alfombra de la sala.

A2

I have to vacuum the living room rug.

Ayer aspiré todo el coche por dentro.

B1

Yesterday I vacuumed the whole inside of the car.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • aspirar el polvo – to vacuum the dust
  • pasar la aspiradora – to run the vacuum (more common in Spain)

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesaspiraran
yoaspirara
túaspiraras
vosotrosaspirarais
nosotrosaspiráramos
él/ella/ustedaspirara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesaspiren
yoaspire
túaspires
vosotrosaspiréis
nosotrosaspiremos
él/ella/ustedaspire

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesaspiraron
yoaspiré
túaspiraste
vosotrosaspirasteis
nosotrosaspiramos
él/ella/ustedaspiró

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesaspiraban
yoaspiraba
túaspirabas
vosotrosaspirabais
nosotrosaspirábamos
él/ella/ustedaspiraba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesaspiran
yoaspiro
túaspiras
vosotrosaspiráis
nosotrosaspiramos
él/ella/ustedaspira
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "aspirar" in Spanish:

to vacuum→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: aspirar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is correct if you want to say 'I aim to be the boss'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
aspiradora(vacuum cleaner) — Noun
aspiración(aspiration/ambition) — Noun
aspirante(candidate/applicant) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'aspirare', which combined 'ad' (towards) and 'spirare' (to breathe).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: aspireFrench: aspirer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'aspirar' regular or irregular?

It is a completely regular -ar verb. It follows the standard pattern for all its forms.

What is the difference between 'aspirar' and 'inhalar'?

'Inhalar' is more medical or technical, whereas 'aspirar' is used in everyday life, for goals, and for cleaning.

Does 'aspirar' always need the letter 'a' after it?

Only when it means 'to aim for' or 'to aspire to'. If you are breathing something in or vacuuming, you don't need the 'a'.