fomentar
“fomentar” means “to promote” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to promote, to foster
Also: to encourage
📝 In Action
El gobierno quiere fomentar el empleo entre los jóvenes.
B1The government wants to promote employment among young people.
Es importante fomentar la lectura desde una edad temprana.
A2It is important to foster reading from an early age.
Debemos fomentar el respeto y la tolerancia en las escuelas.
B2We must encourage respect and tolerance in schools.
to stir up, to incite
📝 In Action
Sus palabras solo sirven para fomentar el odio.
B2His words only serve to stir up hatred.
Acusaron al líder de fomentar la violencia en las calles.
C1They accused the leader of inciting violence in the streets.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: fomentar
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the most appropriate use of 'fomentar'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'fomentare,' which meant to apply warm compresses or heat to a wound to help it heal. Over time, the meaning evolved from physically 'warming up' a wound to 'warming up' or encouraging an idea or activity.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'fomentar' the same as 'promover'?
Yes, they are very similar. 'Fomentar' often implies providing the right environment for something to grow over time, while 'promover' can feel slightly more direct, like an advertising campaign or a specific action.
Is 'fomentar' always a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, making it easy to conjugate once you know the basic rules.
Can I use 'fomentar' to talk about a fire?
Occasionally, in a literary sense, it can mean to feed a fire, but usually, we use 'avivar' or 'alimentar' for literal fires. 'Fomentar' is almost always for abstract ideas.