preparar
/preh-pah-RAHR/
to prepare
Preparar: To prepare (food, plans, tasks).
preparar(verb)
to prepare
?food, plans, tasks
,to make
?a meal, coffee
to arrange
?items or documents
📝 In Action
Mi padre siempre prepara el café por la mañana.
A1My father always prepares the coffee in the morning.
Necesitamos preparar la presentación para el lunes.
A2We need to prepare the presentation for Monday.
💡 Grammar Points
Direct Action Verb
This is a transitive verb, meaning the action directly affects something. You always 'prepare something' (e.g., prepare the food, prepare the room).
⭐ Usage Tips
Use 'Listos'
If you want to say something is 'ready,' use the adjective 'listo' (e.g., 'La cena está lista' - Dinner is ready), not the past participle of preparar.
Preparar: To get ready (for an event, activity, or departure).
preparar(verb)
to get ready
?for an event, activity, or departure
,to prepare oneself
?mentally or physically
📝 In Action
Me preparo para ir a trabajar.
A1I am getting ready to go to work.
Tienen que prepararse antes de la reunión.
A2They have to get themselves ready before the meeting.
¿Te preparaste para el frío?
B1Did you prepare yourself for the cold?
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive Action
When you prepare yourself, you must add the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the conjugated verb. This shows that the action goes back to the person doing it.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun
Mistake: "Yo preparo para salir. (Incorrect)"
Correction: Yo me preparo para salir. (Correct). 'Yo preparo' means 'I prepare something else,' not myself.
Preparar: To train (for a career or competition).
preparar(verb)
to train
?for a career or competition
,to coach
?a student or athlete
to tutor
?academically
📝 In Action
La universidad prepara a los futuros ingenieros.
B1The university trains future engineers.
El entrenador preparó al equipo para el campeonato.
B2The coach trained the team for the championship.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'a' with People
When you are training or preparing a person (the person receiving the action), you almost always need to include the preposition 'a' before the person: 'preparar a los estudiantes'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: preparar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'preparar' in its reflexive form (meaning 'to get oneself ready')?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'preparar' and 'prepararse'?
'Preparar' (without the 'se') means you are preparing *something else* (e.g., the food, a plan). 'Prepararse' (with the 'se') means you are preparing *yourself* (e.g., getting dressed, studying for a test).
Is 'preparar' a stem-changing verb?
No, 'preparar' is a completely regular verb. Its stem (prepar-) never changes in any of the conjugations, which makes it easy to learn!