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madurar

mah-doo-RAHRma.ðu.ˈɾaɾ

to ripen

Also: to grow
VerbA2regular ar
A green banana turning into a bright yellow, ripe banana.
gerundmadurando
past Participlemadurado
infinitivemadurar

📝 In Action

Los plátanos maduran más rápido fuera de la nevera.

A2

Bananas ripen faster outside of the fridge.

Deja que el aguacate madure un poco antes de comerlo.

B1

Let the avocado ripen a bit before eating it.

El vino necesita tiempo para madurar en la barrica.

B2

The wine needs time to age (ripen) in the barrel.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sazonar (to season/ripen)

Antonyms

  • podrir (to rot)

Common Collocations

  • madurar al sol – to ripen in the sun
  • madurar en el árbol – to ripen on the tree

to mature

Also: to grow up
VerbB1regular ar
A small child and a tall adult standing side by side, showing growth.
gerundmadurando
past Participlemadurado
infinitivemadurar

📝 In Action

Mi hermano ha madurado mucho desde que vive solo.

B1

My brother has matured a lot since he's been living alone.

A veces las personas tardan en madurar.

B1

Sometimes people take a long time to grow up/mature.

¡Ya es hora de que madures!

B2

It's about time you grew up!

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • infantilizarse (to become childish)

Common Collocations

  • madurar de golpe – to grow up overnight/suddenly
  • madurar emocionalmente – to mature emotionally

to develop

Also: to think through
VerbB2regular ar
A small green sprout growing into a large, leafy tree.
gerundmadurando
past Participlemadurado
infinitivemadurar

📝 In Action

Necesitamos madurar la idea antes de presentarla al jefe.

B2

We need to develop the idea further before presenting it to the boss.

El plan de negocio se está madurando poco a poco.

B2

The business plan is being developed little by little.

Es una propuesta interesante, pero hay que madurarla.

C1

It's an interesting proposal, but it needs to be thought through.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • madurar un proyecto – to develop/mature a project
  • madurar una decisión – to think over a decision

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yomadurara
túmaduraras
él/ella/ustedmadurara
nosotrosmaduráramos
vosotrosmadurarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesmaduraran

Present Subjunctive

yomadure
túmadures
él/ella/ustedmadure
nosotrosmaduremos
vosotrosmaduréis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmaduren

Indicative

Preterite

yomaduré
túmaduraste
él/ella/ustedmaduró
nosotrosmaduramos
vosotrosmadurasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmaduraron

Imperfect

yomaduraba
túmadurabas
él/ella/ustedmaduraba
nosotrosmadurábamos
vosotrosmadurabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesmaduraban

Present

yomaduro
túmaduras
él/ella/ustedmadura
nosotrosmaduramos
vosotrosmaduráis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmaduran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "madurar" in Spanish:

to develop→to grow→to mature→to ripen→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: madurar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly describes fruit becoming ready to eat?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'maturare', which means 'to make ripe' or 'to bring to full growth'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: matureFrench: mûrir

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'madurar' a regular verb?

Yes, it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar.

Can 'madurar' be used for wine or cheese?

Yes! Just like in English, it is used to describe the aging process that makes food or drink better over time.

What is the difference between 'crecer' and 'madurar'?

'Crecer' is about physical size (getting taller/bigger), while 'madurar' is about internal readiness, personality growth, or the ripening of fruit.