A large, gentle hand holding a small umbrella over a tiny kitten to keep it dry during a light rain.

protegerla

pro-te-HER-lah

verbA2spelling change (g to j) er

to protect her?referring to a female person or animal,to protect it?referring to a feminine noun like 'la naturaleza' or 'la casa'

Also:to keep her safe?general safety

Quick Reference

gerundprotegiéndola

past Participleprotegido

infinitiveproteger

📝 In Action

Prometí protegerla de cualquier peligro.

I promised to protect her from any danger.

La naturaleza es frágil y debemos protegerla.

Nature is fragile and we must protect it.

Es mi responsabilidad protegerla.

It is my responsibility to protect her.

Word Connections

Synonyms

cuidarla (to take care of her)
defenderla (to defend her)
resguardarla (to shelter her/it)

Antonyms

abandonarla (to abandon her)
dañarla (to damage her/it)
desprotegerla (to leave her unprotected)

Common Collocations

protegerla de – to protect her from
querer protegerla – to want to protect her
intentar protegerla – to try to protect her

💡 Grammar Points

What is 'la'?

The 'la' at the end of the word is a shortcut for 'her' or 'it.' It identifies who or what is being protected without repeating their name.

Sticky Pronouns

When a verb is in its basic form (the infinitive), you can attach small words like 'la' directly to the end of it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

The 'g' to 'j' swap

Mistake: "protega"

Correction: proteja. When using the special 'wishes/commands' form, the 'g' changes to a 'j' to keep the sound crunchy like a 'h' sound.

⭐ Usage Tips

Is it a person or an object?

Use 'protegerla' for anything that is feminine in Spanish. This includes 'la niña' (the girl) but also 'la idea' (the idea) or 'la empresa' (the company).

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesla protegieran

yola protegiera

túla protegieras

vosotrosla protegierais

nosotrosla protegiéramos

él/ella/ustedla protegiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesla protejan

yola proteja

túla protejas

vosotrosla protejáis

nosotrosla protejamos

él/ella/ustedla proteja

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesla protegieron

yola protegí

túla protegiste

vosotrosla protegisteis

nosotrosla protegimos

él/ella/ustedla protegió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesla protegían

yola protegía

túla protegías

vosotrosla protegíais

nosotrosla protegíamos

él/ella/ustedla protegía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesla protegen

yola protejo

túla proteges

vosotrosla protegéis

nosotrosla protegemos

él/ella/ustedla protege

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: protegerla

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly means 'I need to protect her'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

protección(protection) - noun

protector(protector) - noun

protegido(protected) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't it 'protegerlo'?

'Protegerlo' is used if the person or object being protected is masculine. 'Protegerla' is specifically for feminine nouns or females.

Can I say 'la proteger'?

Almost! You can say 'la quiero proteger' (putting 'la' before the first verb) or 'quiero protegerla' (attaching it to the end). Both are correct.