Inklingo
← Dictionary

cuentan

KWEHN-tahn/ˈkwen.tan/

they count

Also: you (plural, formal) count
VerbA1irregular (stem-changing o → ue) ar
Two children sitting at a wooden table, carefully pointing at and touching a pile of colorful wooden blocks to count them.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Los niños cuentan los caramelos después de la fiesta.

A1

The children count the candies after the party.

Ustedes cuentan el dinero antes de depositarlo en el banco.

A2

You all count the money before depositing it in the bank.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • contar hasta diez – to count to ten

they tell

Also: they recount
VerbA2irregular (stem-changing o → ue) ar
Two adults sitting on comfortable chairs facing each other. One adult is leaning forward with an expressive, open-mouthed gesture, actively telling a story, while the other adult is listening intently.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Mis abuelos siempre cuentan historias de su juventud.

A2

My grandparents always tell stories about their youth.

En la radio, cuentan las noticias del día.

B1

On the radio, they report the day's news.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • contar un chiste – to tell a joke
  • contar un secreto – to tell a secret

they rely on

Also: they matter
VerbB1irregular (stem-changing o → ue) ar
Mexico
A scene showing two friends standing close together. One friend is leaning their full weight onto the other's shoulder, who is standing firmly and supporting them with a reassuring smile.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Ellos cuentan con tu apoyo para el proyecto.

B1

They rely on your support for the project.

En este examen, las respuestas correctas cuentan doble.

B2

In this exam, correct answers count double (matter twice as much).

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • contar con alguien – to rely on someone

Idioms & Expressions

  • ¡Cuenta conmigo! – You can count on me!

🔄 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 →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cuentan" in Spanish:

they count→they matter→they recount→they tell→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuentan

Question 1 of 2

Which meaning of 'cuentan' is used in the sentence: 'Las horas extras no cuentan para la jubilación.'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
cantanplantan
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin verb *computāre*, meaning 'to calculate' or 'to sum up,' which is why it has senses related to numbers and recounting information.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: contarFrench: compter

💡 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 'contar' always stem-changing?

No. 'Contar' is a stem-changing verb (o → ue) only in the present tenses (indicative, subjunctive, and imperative) and only for the persons where the stem is stressed (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, ellos/ellas/ustedes). The 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms are regular.

When should I use 'contar' instead of 'decir' (to say)?

Use 'contar' when you are recounting a longer narrative, a tale, a secret, or performing an act of enumeration (counting numbers). Use 'decir' for simple statements, commands, or short pieces of information.