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A high-speed cartoon character running extremely fast down a path with motion lines, showing a wide-eyed, stressed expression to convey urgency and hurry.

prisa

/PREE-sah/

NounfA1
hurry?the state of needing to go or do something quickly,rush?similar to hurry, often implying a bit more chaos
Also:haste?a more formal way to say hurry,urgency?the quality of being important and needing to be dealt with immediately

📝 In Action

Tengo prisa, no puedo hablar ahora.

A1

I'm in a hurry, I can't talk right now.

¿Por qué tanta prisa? Tenemos tiempo.

A2

Why such a rush? We have time.

¡Date prisa o perderemos el tren!

A2

Hurry up or we'll miss the train!

Hizo el trabajo con prisa y cometió muchos errores.

B1

He did the work in a hurry and made a lot of mistakes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • rapidez (speed)
  • urgencia (urgency)
  • apuro (rush, tight spot)

Antonyms

  • calma (calm)
  • paciencia (patience)
  • lentitud (slowness)

Common Collocations

  • tener prisa – to be in a hurry
  • darse prisa – to hurry up
  • con prisa / de prisa – in a hurry, hastily
  • sin prisa – without a rush, unhurriedly
  • a toda prisa – at full speed, in a great hurry

Idioms & Expressions

  • Las prisas no son buenas consejeras. – Haste makes waste.
  • Vísteme despacio, que tengo prisa. – More haste, less speed. (Doing things carefully and slowly is faster in the end).

💡 Grammar Points

Use 'Tener' (to have), not 'Estar' (to be)

In English, you say 'I am in a hurry.' But in Spanish, you 'have' a hurry. Always use the verb 'tener' to describe this feeling. For example: 'Tengo prisa' (I'm in a hurry).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Saying 'Estoy prisa'

Mistake: "Estoy prisa porque el autobús llega pronto."

Correction: Tengo prisa porque el autobús llega pronto. Remember, in Spanish, a 'hurry' is something you possess or have, not a state you are in.

⭐ Usage Tips

Telling Someone to Hurry Up

To tell someone to hurry, use the phrase 'darse prisa'. You can say '¡Date prisa!' (Hurry up!) to a friend, or '¡Dese prisa!' to be more formal.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: prisa

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly says 'We are in a hurry'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

apresurar(to hurry, to rush) - verb
apresurado(hurried, rushed) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'tener prisa' and 'darse prisa'?

'Tener prisa' describes your state: you feel rushed or are short on time (e.g., 'No puedo parar, tengo prisa'). 'Darse prisa' is an action or a command to move faster (e.g., '¡Date prisa, vamos a llegar tarde!' which means 'Hurry up, we're going to be late!').

Can I say 'de prisa' instead of 'con prisa'?

Yes, both 'de prisa' and 'con prisa' mean 'in a hurry' or 'hastily' and are often used interchangeably. For example, 'Caminaba con prisa' and 'Caminaba de prisa' both mean 'He was walking in a hurry.'