suena
“suena” means “it rings” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
it rings
Also: it sounds
📝 In Action
El teléfono suena, ¿puedes contestar?
A1The phone is ringing, can you answer?
Mi despertador suena a las siete cada mañana.
A1My alarm clock rings at seven every morning.
La música suena muy alta en la casa del vecino.
A2The music sounds very loud in the neighbor's house.
it sounds familiar
Also: it sounds / seems
📝 In Action
Ese nombre me suena, pero no recuerdo de dónde.
A2That name sounds familiar to me, but I don't remember from where.
Tu plan suena muy bien, ¡hagámoslo!
A2Your plan sounds great, let's do it!
Me suena a excusa.
B1It sounds like an excuse to me.
it is rumored
Also: is being mentioned / is in the mix
📝 In Action
El nombre de la directora suena para el nuevo puesto en la sede central.
B2The director's name is being mentioned for the new position at headquarters.
Desde hace meses suena el rumor de que van a cerrar la fábrica.
B2For months, the rumor that they are going to close the factory has been going around.
Ese jugador suena con fuerza para fichar por el Real Madrid.
C1That player is strongly rumored to be signing with Real Madrid.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: suena
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'suena' to mean 'it sounds familiar'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'sonāre', which means 'to sound' or 'to make a noise'. It's the root for many English words related to sound, like 'sonic', 'resonate', and 'sonnet'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'suena' and 'se oye'?
They're very similar! 'Suena' often focuses on the object *making* the sound ('El teléfono suena'). 'Se oye' focuses on the sound *being heard* ('Se oye un teléfono'). Often, you can use them interchangeably, but 'suena' is more common for things designed to make noise, like alarms and bells.
Why does 'sonar' change from 'o' to 'ue' in 'suena'?
It's a historical change from Latin that stuck around in Spanish. Many common verbs do this, like 'poder' (puedo) and 'dormir' (duermo). You just have to memorize them as 'stem-changing' or 'boot' verbs. The good news is they follow a predictable pattern!