atraer
“atraer” means “attract” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
attract, drawAlso: pull in
📝 In Action
Los imanes siempre atraen el metal.
A2Magnets always attract metal.
La gravedad de la Tierra atrae a la Luna.
B1The Earth's gravity draws the Moon in.
Word Connections
appeal to, lureAlso: charm, seduce
📝 In Action
Su carisma atrae a mucha gente.
B1His charisma appeals to many people.
La nueva tienda atrajo a miles de compradores.
B2The new store lured in thousands of shoppers.
Esa profesión no me atrae en absoluto.
C1That profession doesn't interest me at all.
Word Connections
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: atraer
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the irregular 'yo' form of 'atraer' in the present tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
Formed in Spanish by adding the prefix 'a-' (a form of 'ad-', meaning 'towards') to the Latin root *trahere*, which means 'to pull' or 'to drag.' So, 'atraer' literally means 'to pull towards.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'atraer' have so many irregularities, especially in the past tense?
'Atraer' is irregular because it is built directly from the irregular verb 'traer' (to bring). This means it shares all the quirks, especially the 'g' in the present tense ('atraigo') and the 'j' in the simple past tense ('atraje').
Does 'atraer' always need a direct object?
Yes, 'atraer' is a verb that describes an action happening to something or someone. You must state what is being attracted (e.g., 'atraer clientes' - attract customers) or what is attracting you (e.g., 'me atrae el arte' - the art attracts me).