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contarte

kon-TAR-teh/konˈtaɾte/

“contarte” means “to tell you” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to tell you

Also: to relate to you
VerbA1stem-changing (o>ue) ar
A colorful illustration showing a small child whispering a secret into the ear of a large, attentive fox sitting on a grassy hill.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Quiero contarte un secreto que me pasó hoy.

A1

I want to tell you a secret that happened to me today.

¿Puedes contarte esa historia de nuevo?

A2

Can you tell that story to me (you) again?

Estaba a punto de contarte todo, pero me interrumpió.

B1

I was about to tell you everything, but he interrupted me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • decirte (to say/tell you)
  • narrarte (to narrate to you)

Common Collocations

  • contarte un secreto – to tell you a secret
  • contarte la verdad – to tell you the truth

to count you

Also: to rely on you
VerbB1stem-changing (o>ue) ar
A simple storybook illustration of a friendly bear using its paw to tap the last of five brightly colored apples, indicating it is counting them.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Somos diez, pero vamos a contarte a ti también.

B1

We are ten, but we are going to count you too.

Siempre puedo contarte para este tipo de favores.

B2

I can always count on you for these kinds of favors. (Note: often expressed as 'contar contigo')

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • incluirte (to include you)
  • enumerarte (to enumerate you)

Common Collocations

  • contar con alguien – to count on someone
  • contar bien – to count correctly

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcuenta
yocuento
túcuentas
ellos/ellas/ustedescuentan
nosotroscontamos
vosotroscontáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcontaba
yocontaba
túcontabas
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaban
nosotroscontábamos
vosotroscontabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcontó
yoconté
túcontaste
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaron
nosotroscontamos
vosotroscontasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcuente
yocuente
túcuentes
ellos/ellas/ustedescuenten
nosotroscontemos
vosotroscontéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcontara
yocontara
túcontaras
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaran
nosotroscontáramos
vosotroscontarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: contarte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'contarte' in the sense of 'to count you'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
contar(to count, to tell) — Verb
el cuento(the story, the tale) — Noun
la cuenta(the bill, the count, the check) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

'Contar' comes from the Latin verb *computāre*, meaning 'to count' or 'to calculate'. The meaning expanded over time to include 'to narrate' or 'to tell,' perhaps because telling a story involves listing or recounting events.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around 13th century)

Cognates (Related words)

English: countPortuguese: contar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'contarte' have a 'te' at the end?

'Contarte' is the base verb 'contar' combined with the pronoun 'te' (you, informal). Placing 'te' at the end of the infinitive is a rule that applies when the action of the verb is directed toward the person you call 'tú'.

Can I separate 'contar' and 'te'?

Yes! When 'contar' follows another conjugated verb (like 'querer' or 'poder'), you can separate them: 'Quiero contarte' is the same as 'Te quiero contar.' Both are correct and very common.