Inklingo

protesta

proh-TESS-tahproˈtesta

protesta means protest in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

protest, complaint

Also: demonstration, objection
NounfB1
A group of diverse, stylized people walking together in a line, holding up blank, colorful signs, illustrating a public demonstration or protest.

📝 In Action

La protesta de los estudiantes llenó las calles.

B1

The students' protest filled the streets.

Presentamos una protesta escrita al gerente por el mal servicio.

B2

We filed a written complaint with the manager about the poor service.

Hubo una pequeña protesta frente al ayuntamiento.

A2

There was a small demonstration in front of the city hall.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • manifestación (demonstration)
  • queja (complaint)

Common Collocations

  • hacer una protestato make a protest
  • protesta pacíficapeaceful protest

protests, you protest

Also: complains
VerbA1regular ar
A single stylized character standing firmly with one hand raised high in a clear, assertive gesture of objection or disagreement.
past Participleprotestado
infinitiveprotestar
gerundprotestando

📝 In Action

Mi hermano siempre protesta cuando tiene que limpiar.

A1

My brother always protests (or complains) when he has to clean.

El presidente protesta que la decisión es injusta.

B1

The president protests that the decision is unfair.

¿Por qué protesta usted tanto por el precio?

A2

Why do you (formal) complain so much about the price?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • protestar por algoto protest about something

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/ustedprotestaba
protestabas
vosotrosprotestabais
yoprotestaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesprotestaban
nosotrosprotestábamos

present

él/ella/ustedprotesta
protestas
vosotrosprotestáis
yoprotesto
ellos/ellas/ustedesprotestan
nosotrosprotestamos

preterite

él/ella/ustedprotestó
protestaste
vosotrosprotestasteis
yoprotesté
ellos/ellas/ustedesprotestaron
nosotrosprotestamos

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/ustedprotestara/protestase
protestaras/protestases
vosotrosprotestarais/protestaseis
yoprotestara/protestase
ellos/ellas/ustedesprotestaran/protestasen
nosotrosprotestáramos/protestásemos

present

él/ella/ustedproteste
protestes
vosotrosprotestéis
yoproteste
ellos/ellas/ustedesprotesten
nosotrosprotestemos

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: protesta

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'protesta' as a noun?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *protestari*, which meant 'to declare publicly' or 'to bear witness.' Over time, the meaning shifted to publicly declare opposition.

First recorded: 15th century (in similar forms)

Cognates (Related words)

English: protestPortuguese: protesto

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'protesta' only used for political demonstrations?

No. While it's often used for large public events, 'protesta' is also the standard word for any formal complaint, like a complaint you file with a school or a company.

How do I say 'protester' (the person)?

You can use 'el/la manifestante' (the demonstrator) or 'el/la protestante.' 'Manifestante' is often more common when referring to a person participating in a public march.