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contraer

kon-tra-EHRkon.tɾaˈeɾ

“contraer” means “to contract” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to contract

Also: to shrink, to shorten
VerbB1irregular er
A close-up illustration of a muscular arm bending to show a tightened bicep muscle.
gerundcontrayendo
past Participlecontraído
infinitivecontraer

📝 In Action

El frío hace que los metales se contraigan.

B1

Cold makes metals contract.

Debes contraer los abdominales durante el ejercicio.

B2

You should contract your abs during the exercise.

En español, 'a' y 'el' se deben contraer en 'al'.

A2

In Spanish, 'a' and 'el' must be shortened into 'al'.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • encogerse (to shrink)
  • tensar (to tighten)

Antonyms

  • expandirse (to expand)
  • relajar (to relax)

Common Collocations

  • contraer un músculo – to contract a muscle
  • contraerse de dolor – to double over in pain

to incur, to catch

Also: to acquire
VerbB2irregular erformal
A person looking at a very large, heavy stack of red papers on a wooden desk.
gerundcontrayendo
past Participlecontraído
infinitivecontraer

📝 In Action

Él contrajo una enfermedad tropical durante el viaje.

B2

He caught a tropical disease during the trip.

La empresa contrajo grandes deudas el año pasado.

C1

The company incurred large debts last year.

Es peligroso contraer nuevas obligaciones sin capital.

C1

It is dangerous to take on new obligations without capital.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • adquirir (to acquire)
  • contagiarse (to get infected)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • contraer una deuda – to incur a debt
  • contraer matrimonio – to enter into marriage
  • contraer un virus – to catch a virus

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocontrajera
túcontrajeras
él/ella/ustedcontrajera
nosotroscontrajéramos
vosotroscontrajerais
ellos/ellas/ustedescontrajeran

Present Subjunctive

yocontraiga
túcontraigas
él/ella/ustedcontraiga
nosotroscontraigamos
vosotroscontraigáis
ellos/ellas/ustedescontraigan

Indicative

Preterite

yocontraje
túcontrajiste
él/ella/ustedcontrajo
nosotroscontrajimos
vosotroscontrajisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescontrajeron

Imperfect

yocontraía
túcontraías
él/ella/ustedcontraía
nosotroscontraíamos
vosotroscontraíais
ellos/ellas/ustedescontraían

Present

yocontraigo
túcontraes
él/ella/ustedcontrae
nosotroscontraemos
vosotroscontraéis
ellos/ellas/ustedescontraen
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: contraer

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the correct way to say 'I incurred' in the past?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
contracción(contraction) — Noun
contraído(contracted) — Adjective
contráctil(contractile) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'contrahere', which combines 'con-' (together) and 'trahere' (to pull or draw). It literally means 'to draw together'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: contractFrench: contracter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'contraer' the same as 'casarse'?

Yes, but it's very formal. You will hear 'contraer matrimonio' in legal settings or formal announcements, while 'casarse' is used in everyday conversation.

Can I use 'contraer' for a business contract?

You can 'contraer una obligación' (take on an obligation), but if you mean signing a piece of paper, use 'firmar un contrato'.

Does it conjugate like 'traer'?

Exactly like it! If you know 'traigo' and 'traje', you know 'contraigo' and 'contraje'.