Inklingo
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A person holding an old-fashioned telephone receiver to their ear with a pleasant expression, as if responding to a caller.

contestó

kon-tes-TOH

verbA1regular ar
answered?past action by one person,replied?responding to a message or person
Also:responded?reacting to something said,talked back?answering rudely to an authority figure

Quick Reference

gerundcontestando
past Participlecontestado
infinitivecontestar

📝 In Action

Ella contestó el teléfono a la primera.

A1

She answered the phone on the first ring.

El estudiante contestó todas las preguntas.

A1

The student answered all the questions.

Él me contestó de forma muy amable.

A2

He replied to me in a very kind way.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • respondió (responded)
  • replicó (replied/retorted)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • contestó bien – answered correctly
  • contestó rápido – answered quickly

Idioms & Expressions

  • le contestó de mala gana – answered unwillingly or rudely

💡 Grammar Points

The Importance of the Accent Mark

The accent on the 'ó' tells you two things: it happened in the past, and 'he', 'she', or 'you (formal)' did it. Without the accent, 'contesto' means 'I answer' right now.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'contesto' and 'contestó'

Mistake: "Using 'contesto' to say 'he answered.'"

Correction: Always use 'contestó' with the accent for the past. 'Él contestó' is past; 'Yo contesto' is present.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using it for Phones and Doors

Just like in English, 'contestó' is the word you use when someone answers a knock at the door or a phone call.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescontestaran
yocontestara
túcontestaras
vosotroscontestarais
nosotroscontestáramos
él/ella/ustedcontestara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescontesten
yoconteste
túcontestes
vosotroscontestéis
nosotroscontestemos
él/ella/ustedconteste

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescontestaron
yocontesté
túcontestaste
vosotroscontestasteis
nosotroscontestamos
él/ella/ustedcontestó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescontestaban
yocontestaba
túcontestabas
vosotroscontestabais
nosotroscontestábamos
él/ella/ustedcontestaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescontestan
yocontesto
túcontestas
vosotroscontestáis
nosotroscontestamos
él/ella/ustedcontesta
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: contestó

Question 1 of 2

Which of these people is likely the subject of 'contestó'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

contestar(to answer) - verb
contestación(an answer/reply) - noun
contestador(answering machine) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'contestó' only work for talking?

No! It works for answering the phone, answering a door, or even responding to an email.

Can I use 'contestó' to mean 'argued back'?

Yes, if used with a certain tone, 'él me contestó' can imply that someone answered back rudely or defiantly.