depender

deh-pen-DEHR/de.penˈdeɾ/

“depender” means “to depend on” in Spanish (the main meaning - when something is determined by another thing or person).

to depend on, to be up to

Also: to rely on, to be contingent on

VerbA2regular er

A small plant growing inside a protective glass dome, relying on the water droplets and soil inside to survive.

infinitivedepender

gerunddependiendo

past Participledependido

📝 In Action

Todo depende de ti.

Everything depends on you.

El precio depende del tamaño.

The price depends on the size.

Depende de si tenemos tiempo.

It depends on whether we have time.

No depends de mí.

It's not up to me.

Depende de las circunstancias.

It depends on the circumstances.

Word Connections

Synonyms

subir (to be subject to (in certain contexts))
estar condicionado (to be conditioned by)

Antonyms

independer (to be independent (rare/formal))
decidir (to decide (opposite direction of dependence))

Common Collocations

depender de – to depend on (someone/something)
depender de si – to depend on whether
depender enteramente – to depend entirely on
depender exclusivamente – to depend solely on

Idioms & Expressions

depender del aire – to be very unstable or changeable
adepends – it depends (informal)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddepende

nosotrosdependemos

yodependo

vosotrosdependéis

túdependes

ellos/ellas/ustedesdependen

imperfect

él/ella/usteddependía

nosotrosdependíamos

yodependía

vosotrosdependíais

túdependías

ellos/ellas/ustedesdependían

preterite

él/ella/usteddependió

nosotrosdependimos

yodependí

vosotrosdependisteis

túdependiste

ellos/ellas/ustedesdependieron

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddependa

nosotrosdependamos

yodependa

vosotrosdependáis

túdependas

ellos/ellas/ustedesdependan

imperfect

él/ella/usteddependiera

nosotrosdependiéramos

yodependiera

vosotrosdependierais

túdependieras

ellos/ellas/ustedesdependieran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: depender

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly uses 'depender'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

dependiente(dependent / employee (noun)) — Noun

dependencia(dependence / dependency) — Noun

independiente(independent) — Adjective

independencia(independence) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

aprender comprender pretender

📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'dependere' meaning 'to hang from' or 'to be attached to'. The Latin word comes from 'de-' (from) + 'pendere' (to hang).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: dependerItalian: dipendereFrench: dépendreEnglish: depend

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'depender' and 'confiar'?

Both can relate to trust in some contexts, but 'depender' means your situation is determined by someone/something (you rely on them). 'Confiar' means to trust or have confidence in someone. 'Dependo de ti' = I depend on you / I need you. 'Confío en ti' = I trust you.

Is 'depender' regular or irregular?

Depender is a completely regular -er verb. It follows the same pattern as other -er verbs like 'comer' or 'beber'. The stem 'depend-' never changes, and you just add the regular endings.

When do I use 'depender' vs 'depende'?

Use the full verb 'depender' when it's not the main action or comes before/after another verb: 'Quiero depender de mí mismo' (I want to depend on myself). Use 'depende' (present tense, third person) when it means 'it depends': 'Depende' (It depends).