roer
“roer” means “to gnaw” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to gnaw, to nibble
Also: to chew on
📝 In Action
El perro se pasó la tarde royendo un hueso.
A2The dog spent the afternoon gnawing on a bone.
Los ratones royeron los cables de la televisión.
B1The mice gnawed through the TV cables.
No debes roer el lápiz cuando estás nervioso.
B1You shouldn't chew on your pencil when you're nervous.
to eat away at, to corrode
Also: to consume
📝 In Action
La culpa le roía la conciencia día y noche.
C1Guilt was eating away at his conscience day and night.
El óxido comenzó a roer el metal del barco.
B2Rust began to eat away at the ship's metal.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
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🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: roer
Question 1 of 3
What does the idiom 'un hueso duro de roer' refer to?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Latin 'rodere', which means 'to scrape or gnaw'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it 'roigo', 'royo', or 'roo'?
All three are technically correct! Most modern speakers and textbooks prefer 'roigo' or 'royo' because 'roo' sounds a bit like a stutter. 'Roigo' is the most traditional.
Is 'roer' only for rats?
No, while it's the primary verb for what rodents do, you can use it for dogs with bones, children with fingernails, or even rust on a car.
Does it have a regular past tense?
Mostly, but watch out for the third person (he/she/they). Those forms change the 'i' to a 'y' (royó, royeron) to keep the sound flowing.