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frenar

freh-NAHR/fɾeˈnaɾ/

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

to brake

Also: to slow down
VerbA2regular ar
A hand pulling a bicycle brake lever on a handlebar.
gerundfrenando
past Participlefrenado
infinitivefrenar

📝 In Action

Tienes que frenar antes de llegar al semáforo.

A1

You have to brake before reaching the traffic light.

El conductor frenó de golpe para evitar el accidente.

B1

The driver braked suddenly to avoid the accident.

Mi bicicleta no frena muy bien cuando llueve.

A2

My bike doesn't brake very well when it rains.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desacelerar (to decelerate)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • frenar en seco – to stop dead / to brake suddenly
  • frenar a tiempo – to brake in time

to curb

Also: to restrain, to hinder
VerbB2regular ar
A wooden gate or fence blocking a path to stop a rushing stream of water.
gerundfrenando
past Participlefrenado
infinitivefrenar

📝 In Action

El gobierno intenta frenar el aumento de los precios.

B2

The government is trying to curb the price increases.

Tuve que frenar mi lengua para no decir algo grosero.

C1

I had to hold my tongue to avoid saying something rude.

La falta de dinero frenó el proyecto.

B2

The lack of money hindered the project.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • frenar el avance – to slow down progress
  • frenar la inflación – to curb inflation

Idioms & Expressions

  • frenar los pies a alguien – to put someone in their place or stop them from overstepping

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesfrenaran
yofrenara
túfrenaras
vosotrosfrenarais
nosotrosfrenáramos
él/ella/ustedfrenara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesfrenen
yofrene
túfrenes
vosotrosfrenéis
nosotrosfrenemos
él/ella/ustedfrene

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesfrenaron
yofrené
túfrenaste
vosotrosfrenasteis
nosotrosfrenamos
él/ella/ustedfrenó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesfrenaban
yofrenaba
túfrenabas
vosotrosfrenabais
nosotrosfrenábamos
él/ella/ustedfrenaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesfrenan
yofreno
túfrenas
vosotrosfrenáis
nosotrosfrenamos
él/ella/ustedfrena
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "frenar" in Spanish:

to brake→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: frenar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is correct when you want to stop a car quickly?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el freno(the brake (mechanism)) — Noun
el frenazo(a sudden braking) — Noun
enfrenar(to put a bridle on / to control) — Verb
desenfreno(wildness / lack of restraint) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the Spanish noun 'freno' (brake), which comes from the Latin word 'frenum', referring to a horse's bridle or bit—the tool used to control and slow down an animal.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: frearItalian: frenare

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'frenar' and 'detener'?

Think of 'frenar' as the process of slowing down (using the brakes), whereas 'detener' or 'parar' focuses on the result of coming to a complete stop.

Is 'frenar' irregular?

No! It follows the standard pattern for all -ar verbs (freno, frenas, frena...), making it very easy to conjugate.

How do you say 'handbrake'?

While the verb is 'frenar', the noun is 'freno'. The handbrake is called the 'freno de mano'.