ayudar
/ah-yoo-DAHR/
to help
Ayudar means 'to help' or 'to assist' when referring to general assistance between people.
ayudar(Verb)
to help
?general assistance
to assist
?slightly more formal
,to aid
?formal, often in official or medical situations
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Helping People? Use 'a'!
When you're helping a specific person or pet, you must put the little word 'a' right after 'ayudar'. Think of it as a pointer to who's getting the help. For example: 'Ayudo a mi mamá' (I help my mom).
Helping *to do* something
If you're helping someone do another action, you also use 'a' before the next verb. For example: 'Te ayudo a limpiar' (I'll help you to clean).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'personal a'
Mistake: "Voy a ayudar mi amigo."
Correction: Voy a ayudar **a** mi amigo. Remember, Spanish uses this special 'a' to mark a person who receives the action of many verbs, and 'ayudar' is one of them!
⭐ Usage Tips
'Help yourself!'
To say 'help yourself' (like to food at a party), you use the 'se' form, which shows the action is done to oneself. 'Por favor, ayúdense con la comida' means 'Please, help yourselves to the food'.
Ayudar can also mean 'to contribute to' or 'to promote,' as in how the sun helps plants grow.
ayudar(Verb)
to contribute to
?e.g., a situation, a cause
to promote
?e.g., a good outcome
,to be conducive to
?e.g., a certain result
📝 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.
⭐ Usage Tips
Helping Things, Not Just People
This use of 'ayudar' is perfect for cause-and-effect situations. Think of it as 'This thing helps that outcome.' For example, 'Dormir bien ayuda a la concentración' (Sleeping well helps concentration).
Ayudarse de means 'to make use of' or 'to rely on' a tool or resource to achieve a goal.
ayudar(Verb)
to make use of
?using a tool or resource (always used with 'se' and 'de')
to rely on
?depending on something for support (always used with 'se' and 'de')
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
The Special Pattern: 'ayudarse de'
This meaning always follows a specific recipe: a word like 'me', 'te', or 'se' + a form of 'ayudar' + the word 'de'. The 'se' part shows the action is for one's own benefit, and 'de' introduces the tool you're using.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ayudar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I am going to help my sister'?
📚 More Resources
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.