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cuentes

kwehn-tehs/ˈkwen.tes/

you count, you may count

Also: you calculate
VerbA1irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
A young child with bright clothing pointing at a pile of five large, colorful wooden blocks on a table, illustrating the act of counting.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Necesito que cuentes hasta diez antes de abrir los ojos.

A1

I need you to count to ten before opening your eyes.

No cuentes los pollos antes de que nazcan.

B1

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. (Negative command)

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • numerar (to number)
  • calcular (to calculate)

Common Collocations

  • contar dinero – to count money
  • contar votos – to count votes

you tell, you narrate

Also: you recount
VerbA2irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
A smiling young woman sitting comfortably, gesturing with her hands while speaking, with small, glowing illustrations of a tiny castle and a miniature dragon floating above her head, representing the story she is telling.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Me gustaría que cuentes la historia desde el principio.

A2

I would like you to tell the story from the beginning.

No cuentes ese secreto a nadie, por favor.

A2

Please, don't tell that secret to anyone.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • narrar (to narrate)
  • relatar (to recount)

Common Collocations

  • contar un cuento – to tell a tale
  • contar un chiste – to tell a joke

you rely on, you depend on

Also: you count on
VerbB1irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
A cheerful squirrel is perched on a thick, stable tree branch, confidently leaning its body against the branch for support, symbolizing reliance.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Espero que siempre cuentes con mi apoyo.

B1

I hope you can always rely on my support.

No quiero que solo cuentes conmigo para hacer todo el trabajo.

B2

I don't want you to only rely on me to do all the work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • confiar (to trust)
  • depender (to depend)

Common Collocations

  • contar con alguien – to rely on someone
  • contar con recursos – to have resources available

🔄 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/contase
yocontara/contase
túcontaras/contases
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaran/contasen
nosotroscontáramos/contásemos
vosotroscontarais/contaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cuentes" in Spanish:

you calculate→you count→you narrate→you recount→you tell→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuentes

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'cuentes' in the sense of 'to rely on'?

📚 More Resources

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

'Contar' comes from the Latin verb *computare*, which meant 'to calculate' or 'to sum up.' Over time, its meaning broadened from calculating numbers to 'calculating' or 'summing up' a story for someone else, leading to its dual meaning of 'to count' and 'to tell.'

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: contarFrench: compter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'contar' change its spelling to 'cuentes'?

This is called a 'stem change' or 'boot verb' pattern common in Spanish. The vowel 'o' in the verb's root changes to 'ue' whenever it is stressed or pronounced strongly, which happens in the 'tú' form of the present subjunctive.

Is 'cuentes' a command?

It can be! 'Cuentes' is used in negative commands (like 'No cuentes') telling someone *not* to do something. For positive commands ('Count!'), Spanish uses a different form: '¡Cuenta!'