ayudar
“ayudar” means “to help” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to help
Also: to assist, to aid
📝 In Action
¿Me puedes ayudar, por favor?
A1Can you help me, please?
Mi hermano me ayudó a mudar los muebles.
A2My brother helped me move the furniture.
Siempre ayudo a mis abuelos con las compras.
A1I always help my grandparents with the shopping.
to contribute to
Also: to promote, to be conducive to
📝 In Action
Una buena dieta ayuda a prevenir enfermedades.
B1A good diet helps to prevent illnesses.
Su donación ayudará a construir la nueva biblioteca.
B1Your donation will help build the new library.
El sol ayuda a que las plantas crezcan.
B2The sun helps the plants to grow.
to make use of
Also: to rely on
📝 In Action
Para subir a la montaña, se ayudó de un bastón.
B2To climb the mountain, he made use of a walking stick.
El detective se ayudó de varias pistas para resolver el caso.
C1The detective relied on several clues to solve the case.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ayudar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I am going to help my sister'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'adiūtāre', which meant 'to give help to' or 'to assist'. It's built from 'ad-' (meaning 'to') and 'iuvāre' (meaning 'to help, please'). So, from the very beginning, it has always been about giving support to someone or something.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'ayudar' and 'asistir'?
'Ayudar' is the most common, all-purpose word for 'to help'. 'Asistir' can also mean 'to assist' (which sounds a bit more formal), but its main meaning is 'to attend', like attending a class or a meeting. So be careful! 'Asisto a la reunión' means 'I'm attending the meeting', not 'I'm helping the meeting'.
How do I say 'I can't help it' in Spanish?
You would say 'No puedo evitarlo'. It literally means 'I can't avoid it', but it's the natural way to express this idea. Using 'ayudar' here (like 'no puedo ayudarlo') would mean 'I can't help him' and wouldn't make sense for the situation.