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fabricar

fah-bree-KAHRfaβɾiˈkaɾ

“fabricar” means “to manufacture” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to manufacture

Also: to make, to produce
VerbA2regular with spelling change ar
A robotic arm assembling a red toy car on a conveyor belt.
gerundfabricando
past Participlefabricado
infinitivefabricar

📝 In Action

Esta empresa fabrica coches eléctricos.

A1

This company manufactures electric cars.

Muchos de nuestros juguetes se fabrican en España.

A2

Many of our toys are made in Spain.

Es difícil fabricar piezas tan pequeñas.

B1

It is difficult to manufacture such small parts.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • producir (to produce)
  • manufacturar (to manufacture)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • fabricar en serie – to mass-produce
  • fabricar a mano – to make by hand
  • fabricar bajo pedido – to make to order

to make up

Also: to concoct, to invent
VerbB2regular with spelling change ar
A child with an imaginative expression pointing towards a friendly purple dragon in the room.
gerundfabricando
past Participlefabricado
infinitivefabricar

📝 In Action

Él fabricó una mentira increíble para salir del problema.

B2

He made up an incredible lie to get out of the problem.

No intentes fabricar excusas ahora.

B1

Don't try to make up excuses now.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • fabricar una excusa – to make up an excuse
  • fabricar una mentira – to cook up a lie

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yofabricara
túfabricaras
él/ella/ustedfabricara
nosotrosfabricáramos
vosotrosfabricarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesfabricaran

Present Subjunctive

yofabrique
túfabriques
él/ella/ustedfabrique
nosotrosfabriquemos
vosotrosfabriquéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfabriquen

Indicative

Preterite

yofabriqué
túfabricaste
él/ella/ustedfabricó
nosotrosfabricamos
vosotrosfabricasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfabricaron

Imperfect

yofabricaba
túfabricabas
él/ella/ustedfabricaba
nosotrosfabricábamos
vosotrosfabricabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesfabricaban

Present

yofabrico
túfabricas
él/ella/ustedfabrica
nosotrosfabricamos
vosotrosfabricáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfabrican
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "fabricar" in Spanish:

to concoct→to invent→to make→to manufacture→to produce→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: fabricar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I manufactured' (Past Tense) in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
fábrica(factory) — Noun
fabricante(manufacturer) — Noun
fabricación(manufacturing/production) — Noun
prefabricado(prefabricated) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'fabricare', which meant to build, construct, or work in wood or metal. It comes from 'faber', meaning a craftsman or smith.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: fabricateFrench: fabriquerItalian: fabbricare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'fabricar' for making clothes?

Yes, if you are talking about an industrial process or a business. If you are just sewing a dress at home, 'hacer' or 'confeccionar' is more natural.

Why is it 'fabriqué' instead of 'fabricé'?

In Spanish, 'ce' sounds like 'se'. To keep the 'ke' sound from the original word 'fabricar', we have to use 'que'.

Is a 'fabricante' the person or the machine?

A 'fabricante' is the manufacturer, which usually refers to the company or the person who owns the production.