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recuperar

reh-koo-peh-RAHRre.ku.peˈɾaɾ

to recover, to get back

Also: to retrieve
VerbA2regular ar
A child's hand reaching down to pick up a brightly colored, lost teddy bear lying on the green grass.
past Participlerecuperado
infinitiverecuperar
gerundrecuperando

📝 In Action

Perdí mi cartera, pero logré recuperarla gracias a la policía.

A2

I lost my wallet, but I managed to recover it thanks to the police.

¿Cuándo vamos a recuperar el dinero que prestamos?

B1

When are we going to get back the money we lent?

Necesito recuperar mis archivos después de que la computadora falló.

B1

I need to retrieve my files after the computer failed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • recobrar (to get back)
  • restituir (to restore)

Antonyms

  • perder (to lose)
  • extraviar (to misplace)

Common Collocations

  • recuperar la inversión – to recover the investment
  • recuperar la llave – to retrieve the key

to restore, to reclaim

Also: to make up for
VerbB2regular ar
A simplified illustration of a person carefully cleaning and restoring a section of an ancient, ornate stone column, making the cleaned part look bright and new.
past Participlerecuperado
infinitiverecuperar
gerundrecuperando

📝 In Action

El museo está trabajando para recuperar la pintura original.

B2

The museum is working to restore the original painting.

Tuvimos que trabajar extra para recuperar el tiempo perdido.

B2

We had to work extra to make up for the lost time.

El equipo necesita recuperar su prestigio después de tantas derrotas.

C1

The team needs to reclaim its prestige after so many defeats.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • restaurar (to restore)
  • reestablecer (to reestablish)

Common Collocations

  • recuperar territorio – to reclaim territory
  • recuperar la moral – to restore morale

to recover, to bounce back

Also: to rest up
VerbB1regular (pronominal) ar
A cheerful person sitting outside on a sunny day, taking a deep, restorative breath, radiating health and peace after an illness.
past Participlerecuperado
infinitiverecuperarse
gerundrecuperándose

📝 In Action

Mi abuela se está recuperando de la cirugía muy bien.

B1

My grandmother is recovering from the surgery very well.

Después del maratón, los corredores tardaron horas en recuperarse.

B1

After the marathon, the runners took hours to recover.

Necesitas tomarte un día libre para que te recuperes del estrés.

B2

You need to take a day off so that you can recover from the stress.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mejorarse (to get better)
  • reponerse (to recuperate)

Common Collocations

  • recuperarse pronto – to recover quickly
  • recuperarse de una enfermedad – to recover from an illness

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yorecuperara
túrecuperaras
él/ella/ustedrecuperara
nosotrosrecuperáramos
vosotrosrecuperarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecuperaran

Present Subjunctive

yorecupere
túrecuperes
él/ella/ustedrecupere
nosotrosrecuperemos
vosotrosrecuperéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecuperen

Indicative

Preterite

yorecuperé
túrecuperaste
él/ella/ustedrecuperó
nosotrosrecuperamos
vosotrosrecuperasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecuperaron

Imperfect

yorecuperaba
túrecuperabas
él/ella/ustedrecuperaba
nosotrosrecuperábamos
vosotrosrecuperabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecuperaban

Present

yorecupero
túrecuperas
él/ella/ustedrecupera
nosotrosrecuperamos
vosotrosrecuperáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecuperan
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "recuperar" in Spanish:

to reclaim→to recover→to restore→to retrieve→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: recuperar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive form of 'recuperar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
recuperación(recovery, restoration) — Noun
recuperable(recoverable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *recuperare*, which means 'to regain' or 'to get back.' It is formed by the prefix *re-* (meaning 'again' or 'back') and *capere* (meaning 'to take'). So, the word literally means 'to take back again.'

First recorded: Medieval Latin

Cognates (Related words)

English: recuperateFrench: récupérer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'recuperar' the same as 'mejorar'?

They are similar when talking about health, but not identical. 'Mejorar' means 'to get better' in a general sense. 'Recuperar(se)' specifically means 'to return to a previous, healthy state'—it emphasizes the regaining of something lost (health, strength, time).

How do I know when to use 'recuperar' versus 'recuperarse'?

Use 'recuperarse' (with 'se') when the person doing the action is also the one being affected (recovering their own health). Use 'recuperar' (without 'se') when you are getting back an external object or concept (money, a painting, prestige).