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cambié

kahm-bYAY/kamˈbje/

I changed

Also: I exchanged, I swapped
VerbA1regular ar
A hand is swapping a red apple for a green banana on a wooden table, illustrating the act of replacement.
infinitivecambiar
gerundcambiando
past Participlecambiado

📝 In Action

Cambié mi camisa vieja por una nueva.

A1

I exchanged my old shirt for a new one.

Cambié de sitio para ver mejor la película.

A2

I changed places (seats) to see the movie better.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • cambié de opinión – I changed my mind
  • cambié de trabajo – I changed jobs

I modified

Also: I transformed, I reformed
VerbB1regular ar
A child's hand is physically moving a section of a wooden toy train track to create a new, modified path, altering the original setup.
infinitivecambiar
gerundcambiando
past Participlecambiado

📝 In Action

Después del viaje, cambié mi forma de pensar.

B1

After the trip, I changed my way of thinking.

Cambié la ruta para evitar el tráfico.

B1

I modified the route to avoid traffic.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • modificqué (I modified)

Antonyms

  • continué (I continued)

I exchanged (money)

Also: I broke (a bill)
VerbA2regular ar
Two different hands are exchanging money. One hand is giving green rectangular bills, and the other is receiving shiny gold circular coins.
infinitivecambiar
gerundcambiando
past Participlecambiado

📝 In Action

Llegué al aeropuerto y cambié dólares por euros.

A2

I arrived at the airport and exchanged dollars for euros.

Cambié un billete de cien en la tienda.

A2

I broke a hundred-bill (got change for it) at the store.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • cambié dinero – I exchanged money
  • cambié moneda – I exchanged currency

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcambia
yocambio
túcambias
ellos/ellas/ustedescambian
nosotroscambiamos
vosotroscambiáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcambiaba
yocambiaba
túcambiabas
ellos/ellas/ustedescambiaban
nosotroscambiábamos
vosotroscambiabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcambió
yocambié
túcambiaste
ellos/ellas/ustedescambiaron
nosotroscambiamos
vosotroscambiasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcambie
yocambie
túcambies
ellos/ellas/ustedescambien
nosotroscambiemos
vosotroscambiéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcambiara/cambiase
yocambiara/cambiase
túcambiaras/cambiases
ellos/ellas/ustedescambiaran/cambiasen
nosotroscambiáramos/cambiásemos
vosotroscambiarais/cambiaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cambié" in Spanish:

i exchanged→i modified→i reformed→i swapped→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cambié

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'cambié' (I changed) for a completed action in the past?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
habléviajé
📚 Etymology▼

'Cambié' comes from the verb 'cambiar,' which traces its roots back to Late Latin *cambiare*, meaning 'to exchange' or 'to barter.' This idea of swapping one thing for another has been central to the word for centuries.

First recorded: Vulgar Latin (pre-Spanish formation)

Cognates (Related words)

French: changerItalian: cambiare

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'cambié' and 'cambie'?

'Cambié' (with the accent) means 'I changed' in the simple past (Preterite). 'Cambie' (without the accent) means 'he/she/it changes' or 'you (formal) change' in the present tense, or is the special verb form (Subjunctive) used for wishes, commands, or uncertainty, as in 'Espero que cambie' (I hope that he changes).

How do I say 'I changed myself' or 'I changed clothes'?

When the action affects you, you must use the reflexive form 'cambiarse.' The conjugation would be 'Me cambié.' For example, 'Me cambié de ropa' (I changed my clothes).