Inklingo
A small child reaching out their hand as another child hands back a colorful toy ball.

devuélveme

deh-BWEHL-beh-meh

VerbA2irregular (stem-changing) er
give it back to me?returning an object
Also:return to me?used for feelings or abstract concepts like time

Quick Reference

gerunddevolviendo
past Participledevuelto
infinitivedevolver

📝 In Action

Ese es mi bolígrafo, ¡devuélveme!

A1

That is my pen, give it back to me!

Devuélveme el libro cuando termines.

A2

Give me the book back when you finish.

Devuélveme el tiempo que perdí.

B1

Give me back the time I lost.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • regrésame (return to me (common in Latin America))
  • entrégame (hand over to me)

Antonyms

  • quédatelo (keep it)
  • toma (here, take it)

Common Collocations

  • devuélveme el favorreturn the favor
  • devuélveme la llamadacall me back

💡 Grammar Points

Sticking words together

In Spanish, when you give a direct command to someone you know well, pronouns like 'me' (to me) get attached directly to the end of the verb, turning it into one long word.

The 'O' to 'UE' swap

The base verb is 'devolver,' but when you stress the middle of the word in a command, the 'o' changes to 'ue.' This is why it is 'devuélveme' and not 'devólveme'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Putting 'me' in the wrong place

Mistake: ""

Correction: Use 'Devuélveme.' In commands, the person receiving the action must be at the end of the verb.

Forgetting the accent

Mistake: ""

Correction: Because we added 'me' to the end, the word became longer. We add the accent on the 'é' to make sure the emphasis stays on the right syllable.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using it politely

Since this is a command, it can sound a bit bossy. Adding 'por favor' (please) at the end makes it much friendlier.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdevolvieran
yodevolviera
devolvieras
vosotrosdevolvierais
nosotrosdevolviéramos
él/ella/usteddevolviera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdevuelvan
yodevuelva
devuelvas
vosotrosdevolváis
nosotrosdevolvamos
él/ella/usteddevuelva

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdevolvieron
yodevolví
devolviste
vosotrosdevolvisteis
nosotrosdevolvimos
él/ella/usteddevolvió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdevolvían
yodevolvía
devolvías
vosotrosdevolvíais
nosotrosdevolvíamos
él/ella/usteddevolvía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdevuelven
yodevuelvo
devuelves
vosotrosdevolvéis
nosotrosdevolvemos
él/ella/usteddevuelve

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: devuélveme

Question 1 of 2

Which part of 'devuélveme' means 'to me'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'devuélveme' formal or informal?

It is informal because it uses the 'tú' (friend/family) form of the command. If you were speaking to a boss or a stranger, you would say 'devuélvame'.

Why is there an accent on the 'e'?

When you attach pronouns to the end of a verb, the word gets longer. The accent is added to ensure you still emphasize the 'vuel' sound, which is the heart of the word.