Inklingo
← Dictionary

regar

reh-GAHR/reˈɡaɾ/

to water

Also: to irrigate
VerbA1vowel-changing (e to ie) and spelling-change ar
A person using a green watering can to pour water onto a vibrant potted flower.
gerundregando
past Participleregado
infinitiveregar

📝 In Action

Tengo que regar las flores esta tarde.

A1

I have to water the flowers this afternoon.

Riego mis plantas una vez a la semana.

A2

I water my plants once a week.

Si no riegas el jardín, el césped se pondrá amarillo.

B1

If you don't water the garden, the grass will turn yellow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • irrigar (to irrigate)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • regar las plantas – to water the plants
  • regar el jardín – to water the garden

to scatter, to spread

Also: to spill
VerbB1vowel-changing (e to ie) ar
Latin America
A collection of colorful toy blocks scattered randomly across a wooden floor.
gerundregando
past Participleregado
infinitiveregar

📝 In Action

Los niños regaron sus juguetes por toda la sala.

B1

The children scattered their toys all over the living room.

Ten cuidado, no vayas a regar el café.

B2

Be careful, don't spill the coffee.

La noticia se regó rápidamente por el pueblo.

C1

The news spread quickly through the town.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • se regó el rumor – the rumor spread
  • regar por el suelo – to scatter across the floor

to mess up, to screw up

VerbB2vowel-changing (e to ie) arslang
MexicoColombia
A sad child looking at a spilled glass of juice on a clean white tablecloth.
gerundregando
past Participleregado
infinitiveregar

📝 In Action

¡Uy, ya la regué! No debí decir eso.

B2

Oops, I messed up! I shouldn't have said that.

Ibas muy bien en la entrevista, pero la regaste al final.

C1

You were doing great in the interview, but you blew it at the end.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • arruinar (to ruin)
  • meter la pata (to put one's foot in it)

Antonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • la regué – I messed up / I blew it

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesregaran
yoregara
túregaras
vosotrosregarais
nosotrosregáramos
él/ella/ustedregara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesrieguen
yoriegue
túriegues
vosotrosreguéis
nosotrosreguemos
él/ella/ustedriegue

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesregaron
yoregué
túregaste
vosotrosregasteis
nosotrosregamos
él/ella/ustedregó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesregaban
yoregaba
túregabas
vosotrosregabais
nosotrosregábamos
él/ella/ustedregaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesriegan
yoriego
túriegas
vosotrosregáis
nosotrosregamos
él/ella/ustedriega
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "regar" in Spanish:

to irrigate→to scatter→to spill→to spread→to water→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: regar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I water' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
riego(irrigation/watering) — Noun
regadera(watering can / shower head) — Noun
regadío(irrigated land) — Noun
regado(watered / scattered) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'rigare,' which means to lead water to a place or to moisten.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: irrigateItalian: irrigare

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'regar' irregular?

Yes, it has two types of changes: it changes its vowel (e to ie) in the present tense, and it has a spelling change (g to gu) in the 'yo' form of the past tense and the subjunctive.

Can I use 'regar' for taking a shower?

No. While 'regadera' can mean shower head, the verb for 'to shower' is 'ducharse'.

What is the difference between 'regar' and 'mojar'?

'Regar' is specifically for distributing water (like on plants), while 'mojar' means to get something wet or soak it.