aumentar
“aumentar” means “to increase” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to increase, to raise
Also: to boost
📝 In Action
Necesitamos aumentar la velocidad para llegar a tiempo.
A1We need to increase the speed to arrive on time.
El jefe prometió aumentar mi salario el próximo año.
A2The boss promised to raise my salary next year.
Por favor, aumenta el volumen de la música.
A1Please, turn up the volume of the music.
to grow, to rise
Also: to swell
📝 In Action
El nivel del río aumentó después de la lluvia.
B1The river level rose after the rain.
La población ha aumentado dramáticamente en la última década.
B2The population has grown dramatically in the last decade.
El costo de la vida sigue aumentando.
B1The cost of living keeps rising.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: aumentar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'aumentar' in the transitive sense (Definition 1)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Late Latin verb *augmentare*, which itself is derived from the Latin *augere*, meaning 'to increase' or 'to make larger.' It entered Spanish early on, keeping its core meaning of growth and expansion.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'aumentar' and 'crecer'?
'Aumentar' is generally used for measurable quantities, abstract concepts, or things you can control (like prices, speed, or volume). 'Crecer' is almost always reserved for biological growth (people, animals, plants) or development over time.
Is 'aumentar' a stem-changing verb?
No, 'aumentar' is a completely regular -AR verb. Its stem (aument-) stays the same in all conjugations, making it easy to learn!

