atreve
“atreve” means “he/she dares” in Spanish (Present tense action).
he/she dares, you (formal) dare
Also: he/she ventures
📝 In Action
Ella se atreve a decir la verdad.
A2She dares to tell the truth.
Usted se atreve a hacer preguntas difíciles.
B1You (formal) dare to ask difficult questions.
Si no se atreve, nunca sabrá si funciona.
B1If he doesn't dare, he will never know if it works.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: atreve
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'atreve' to mean 'She dares to try the spicy food'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'atreverse' comes from the Latin word *tribuere*, which meant 'to assign' or 'to allot'. Over time, its meaning shifted in Spanish to imply 'to risk' or 'to venture' what was assigned to you.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
If 'atreve' means 'he/she/you dare,' what is the base form of the verb?
The base form is 'atreverse.' The extra 'se' at the end tells you that this verb is reflexive, meaning the action of daring is performed by the subject onto themselves. That's why you need the 'se' (or 'me,' 'te,' etc.) when you conjugate it.
Why do I see 'atreve' used with 'se' but also sometimes with 'te' or 'me'?
'Atreve' is the form for 'él,' 'ella,' and 'usted.' If you are talking about yourself, you would use 'me atrevo.' If you are talking to a friend, you would use 'te atreves.' The pronoun changes to match who is doing the daring.