A massive, antique golden key resting prominently on a tall, sturdy stone pedestal, emphasizing its significance and value.

importante

/eem-por-TAHN-teh/

important?general significance

Also:significant?having great consequence,prominent?referring to a person's status,major?describing events or issues,considerable?referring to a large amount

📝 In Action

Es muy importante estudiar.

It's very important to study.

Tengo una reunión importante mañana.

I have an important meeting tomorrow.

Él es una figura importante en la política local.

He is an important figure in local politics.

Hubo un número importante de asistentes al evento.

There was a considerable number of attendees at the event.

Word Connections

Synonyms

esencial (essential)
fundamental (fundamental)
significativo (significant)
relevante (relevant)

Antonyms

insignificante (insignificant)
trivial (trivial)
irrelevante (irrelevant)

Common Collocations

lo más importante – the most important thing
papel importante – important role
decisión importante – important decision
persona importante – important person (VIP)

Idioms & Expressions

darse importancia – to act self-important, to put on airs

💡 Grammar Points

Same for Everyone

Importante ends in '-e', which is great news! It means you use the same form for both masculine and feminine things. For example: 'el libro importante' (the important book) and 'la casa importante' (the important house).

Placement is Key

Usually, importante comes after the thing it describes, just like in English. For example, 'una reunión importante' (an important meeting). Placing it before ('una importante reunión') adds a bit of emphasis or a more formal tone.

Your Go-To Verb: 'ser'

To say something is important, you'll almost always use the verb 'ser'. For example, 'Ser honesto es importante' (Being honest is important).

❌ Common Pitfalls

The 'Es importante que...' Rule

Mistake: "Es importante que tú estudias mucho."

Correction: Es importante que tú estudies mucho. When you say it's important for *someone else* to do something, the verb that follows needs a special ending. This is a huge pattern in Spanish!

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking About 'The Important Thing'

To say 'the important thing is...', use the super common phrase 'Lo importante es...'. For example: 'Lo importante es que estás bien' (The important thing is that you're okay).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: importante

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence is grammatically correct and most natural?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

importancia(importance) - noun

importar(to matter, to be important) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'importante' sometimes go before the noun and sometimes after?

Great question! 95% of the time, it goes *after*, just like in English (e.g., 'un tema importante'). Putting it *before* ('un importante tema') is less common and is used to add emphasis or make the sentence sound a bit more formal or literary. When you're starting out, it's safest to always place it after.

Do I use 'ser' or 'estar' with 'importante'?

You will almost always use 'ser' with 'importante' because importance is generally seen as a characteristic or a fact. For example, 'La educación es importante' (Education is important). You wouldn't typically use 'estar'.