Inklingo

ayuda

ah-YOO-dah/aˈʝuða/

ayuda means help in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

help, aid

Also: assistance, support, relief
NounfA1
A large, friendly hand gently supporting a small, colorful toy boat on blue water.

📝 In Action

Necesito un poco de ayuda, por favor.

A1

I need a little help, please.

Gracias por tu ayuda con la mudanza.

A2

Thanks for your help with the move.

La organización ofrece ayuda económica a estudiantes.

B1

The organization offers financial aid to students.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • pedir ayudato ask for help
  • prestar ayudato provide help/aid
  • de gran ayudaof great help
  • primeros auxiliosfirst aid (related concept)

Idioms & Expressions

  • ¡Ayuda!Help!

he/she/it helps, you help, help!

VerbA1regular ar
Two friendly cartoon characters working together to build a very tall tower of brightly colored wooden blocks, one character steadies the base while the other places the top block.
infinitiveayudar
gerundayudando
past Participleayudado

📝 In Action

Mi madre siempre me ayuda.

A1

My mother always helps me.

El mapa ayuda mucho a los turistas.

A2

The map helps tourists a lot.

¡Ayuda a tu hermano con sus deberes!

A2

Help your brother with his homework!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asistir (to assist)
  • socorrer (to help, to aid)

Antonyms

  • dificultar (to make difficult)
  • obstaculizar (to obstruct)

Common Collocations

  • ayudar a alguiento help someone
  • ayudar a hacer algoto help to do something

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedayuda
yoayudo
ayudas
ellos/ellas/ustedesayudan
nosotrosayudamos
vosotrosayudáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedayudaba
yoayudaba
ayudabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesayudaban
nosotrosayudábamos
vosotrosayudabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedayudó
yoayudé
ayudaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesayudaron
nosotrosayudamos
vosotrosayudasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedayude
yoayude
ayudes
ellos/ellas/ustedesayuden
nosotrosayudemos
vosotrosayudéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedayudara
yoayudara
ayudaras
ellos/ellas/ustedesayudaran
nosotrosayudáramos
vosotrosayudarais

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ayuda" in Spanish:

aidassistancehelp!reliefsupportyou help

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ayuda

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'ayuda' as a noun (a thing)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb 'adiūtāre', which is a stronger form of 'iuvāre', meaning 'to help, assist, or please'. It has kept its core meaning for centuries.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: ajudaItalian: aiutoFrench: aide

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'ayuda' and 'ayude'?

'Ayuda' is the informal command you'd give to a friend ('tú'), like '¡Juan, ayuda!'. 'Ayude' is the formal command for 'usted' (e.g., a stranger, a boss) or a special form used after words like 'quiero que...' (I want you to...).

How do I say 'Help me!'?

You can shout '¡Ayuda!' to get anyone's attention. To ask a specific person, you can say '¡Ayúdame!' (informal 'tú') or '¡Ayúdeme!' (formal 'usted').