A simple colorful illustration showing two stylized characters facing each other. One character is standing expectantly, and the second character is clearly speaking, with a solid, colorful sound wave emanating from their mouth towards the first character, illustrating a response.

responda

reh-SPON-dah

verbA1regular er

answer?as a command or suggestion,respond?as a command or suggestion

Also:reply?formal instruction

Quick Reference

infinitiveresponder

gerundrespondiendo

past Participlerespondido

📝 In Action

Por favor, responda a mi pregunta de inmediato.

Please, answer my question immediately. (Formal command)

Espero que ella responda al correo antes del mediodía.

I hope that she answers the email before noon. (Expressing a wish)

No creo que el jefe responda a esa crítica.

I don't believe the boss will respond to that criticism. (Expressing doubt)

Si el cliente llama, responda amablemente.

If the client calls, answer kindly. (Instruction/Conditional)

Word Connections

Synonyms

contestar (to answer)
replicar (to reply (formally))

Antonyms

preguntar (to ask)
callar (to be quiet)

Common Collocations

responda a la carta – answer the letter
responda con claridad – answer clearly

💡 Grammar Points

Formal Commands (Usted)

'Responda' is the polite way to give a direct order to a single person you don't know well (using the 'usted' form). It means 'You must answer!'

The Subjunctive Mood

'Responda' is also used when expressing a wish, doubt, emotion, or necessity about someone else's action, usually after connecting words like 'que' (that). For example: 'Quiero que responda' (I want him/her/you to answer).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Command Forms

Mistake: "Using 'responde' for a formal command (Usted)."

Correction: Use 'responda' for formal commands and 'responde' only for informal commands ('tú'). Remember that formal commands borrow the '-a' ending from '-er' verbs.

⭐ Usage Tips

Politeness Check

When in doubt about formality, using 'responda' (the 'usted' command) is always safer than using the informal 'responde' if you are speaking to an older person or someone in authority.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedresponde

yorespondo

túrespondes

ellos/ellas/ustedesresponden

nosotrosrespondemos

vosotrosrespondéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedrespondía

yorespondía

túrespondías

ellos/ellas/ustedesrespondían

nosotrosrespondíamos

vosotrosrespondíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedrespondió

yorespondí

túrespondiste

ellos/ellas/ustedesrespondieron

nosotrosrespondimos

vosotrosrespondisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedresponda

yoresponda

túrespondas

ellos/ellas/ustedesrespondan

nosotrosrespondamos

vosotrosrespondáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedrespondiera/respondiese

yorespondiera/respondiese

túrespondieras/respondieses

ellos/ellas/ustedesrespondieran/respondiesen

nosotrosrespondiéramos/respondiésemos

vosotrosrespondierais/respondieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: responda

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'responda' as a formal command?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

responder(to answer/respond (infinitive)) - verb

respuesta(answer/response) - noun

respondón(someone who talks back (adjective/noun)) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'responda' the same as 'responde'?

No. 'Responde' is the informal command ('tú') and the present indicative for 'he/she/it/you formal'. 'Responda' is the formal command ('usted') and the special verb form (subjunctive) for 'I' and 'he/she/it/you formal.' They are used in very different situations.

Why does 'responda' often follow 'que'?

'Responda' follows 'que' (that) when the sentence contains two different subjects and the first subject is influencing or reacting to the second subject's action. For instance, 'Te pido que responda' (I ask you [formal] to answer).