contribuir
“contribuir” means “to contribute” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to contribute
Also: to donate, to chip in
📝 In Action
Todos debemos contribuir a la limpieza del parque.
A2We should all contribute to the cleaning of the park.
Ella contribuyó con cien dólares para el viaje.
B1She contributed one hundred dollars for the trip.
¿Vas a contribuir con alguna idea para el proyecto?
B1Are you going to chip in with any ideas for the project?
to play a part in
Also: to add to, to lead to
📝 In Action
La contaminación contribuye al cambio climático.
B2Pollution plays a part in climate change.
Su mala actitud contribuyó al fracaso del equipo.
B2His bad attitude contributed to the team's failure.
Varios factores contribuyeron a la crisis económica.
C1Several factors led to the economic crisis.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: contribuir
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct 'yo' form in the present tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'contribuere', where 'con-' means 'together' and 'tribuere' means 'to assign or give'. Originally it meant bringing things together to give as a tribute.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'contribuir' always followed by 'a'?
Usually, yes, when identifying the goal. However, you can use 'con' if you are mentioning the specific thing you are giving (e.g., 'Contribuyó con dinero').
Does 'contribuir' only refer to money?
Not at all! You can contribute ideas, time, effort, or even be a contributing factor to a situation like global warming.
Is it a 'hard' irregular verb?
Not really. It follows a very predictable pattern for verbs ending in -uir. Once you learn the 'i to y' swap, it's easy to conjugate!