Inklingo
Dictionary

intenta

een-TEHN-tahinˈtenta

“intenta” means “he/she/it tries” in Spanish (Third person singular, present tense statement).

he/she/it tries, you try, Try! / Attempt!Also: he/she/it attempts

VerbA2regular ar
A determined young girl attempting to push a large, colorful wooden block across a floor, showing visible effort and strain.
infinitiveintentar
gerundintentando
past Participleintentado

📝 In Action

Mi hermano siempre intenta ser positivo.

A2

My brother always tries to be positive.

¿Usted intenta contactar a la oficina principal?

B1

Are you (formal) trying to contact the main office?

Si no funciona, intenta de nuevo mañana.

A2

If it doesn't work, try again tomorrow.

¡Intenta esto! Está delicioso.

A1

Try this! It's delicious.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • prueba (try (command))
  • esfuerza (makes an effort)
  • procura (endeavors)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • intenta hacerlo – tries to do it
  • intenta evitar – tries to avoid

Indicative

Present

yointento
túintentas
él/ella/ustedintenta
nosotrosintentamos
vosotrosintentáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintentan

Imperfect

yointentaba
túintentabas
él/ella/ustedintentaba
nosotrosintentábamos
vosotrosintentabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesintentaban

Preterite

yointenté
túintentaste
él/ella/ustedintentó
nosotrosintentamos
vosotrosintentasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintentaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yointente
túintentes
él/ella/ustedintente
nosotrosintentemos
vosotrosintentéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintenten

Imperfect Subjunctive

yointentara/intentase
túintentaras/intentases
él/ella/ustedintentara/intentase
nosotrosintentáramos/intentásemos
vosotrosintentarais/intentaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedesintentaran/intentasen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: intenta

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'intenta' as a direct command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
intentar(to try) — Verb
el intento(the attempt) — Noun
la intención(the intention) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes
cantaplanta
📚 Etymology

The word comes from the Latin verb *intendere*, which meant 'to stretch out' or 'to direct one's attention toward,' evolving into the idea of focusing one's effort on a goal.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: intendPortuguese: tenta

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'intenta' interchangeable with 'prueba'?

Yes, often they are. Both mean 'try.' 'Intenta' (from intentar) focuses slightly more on the effort or attempt, while 'prueba' (from probar) often refers to testing something (like food or equipment) or giving something a simple test run.

How do I say 'Don't try' using the informal command?

You must use the negative imperative form: '¡No intentes!' This requires the special verb form ('intentes') instead of 'intenta'.