intentado
“intentado” means “tried” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
tried, attempted
Also: endeavored
📝 In Action
Nunca he intentado hacer paracaidismo.
A2I have never tried skydiving.
Ellos habían intentado hablar con el jefe varias veces.
B1They had attempted to speak with the boss several times.
¿Quién ha intentado robar mi cartera?
A2Who has tried to steal my wallet?
attempted
Also: tried (out)
📝 In Action
La policía está investigando el robo intentado de un banco.
B2The police are investigating the attempted robbery of a bank.
Este fue un camino intentado sin éxito.
C1This was a tried path without success.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: intentado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'intentado' to form a complete past action?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The root verb 'intentar' comes from the Latin word 'intentāre', which meant 'to stretch out' or 'to direct one's attention toward something.' This idea of focusing effort led to the modern meaning of 'trying' or 'attempting'.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'intentado' and 'tratado'?
'Intentado' (from 'intentar') means specifically 'to attempt' or 'to try hard.' 'Tratado' (from 'tratar') often requires 'de' after it to mean 'to try to do something' (e.g., 'hemos tratado de abrir'). In many contexts, they are synonyms for 'trying'.
Does 'intentado' change based on who is doing the trying?
When 'intentado' is used with 'haber' to form perfect tenses (like 'he intentado,' 'has intentado'), it *never* changes its ending. It always stays 'intentado.' It only changes if you are using it as a descriptive adjective (e.g., 'la misión intentada').