suenas
/SWAH-nas/
you sound
When a person or object is making a physical noise or ring, 'you sound' is translated as suenas.
suenas(verb)
you sound
?Making a noise or ring
,you are ringing
?The act of making a sound
you are playing
?Referring to music being played
📝 In Action
¿Por qué suenas esa bocina tan fuerte?
A1Why are you sounding that horn so loudly?
Si suenas la alarma, vendrá la seguridad.
A2If you ring the alarm, security will come.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'O to UE' Change
In the present tense, the 'o' inside the verb stem changes to 'ue' for all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'. Think of it like a shoe or boot shape on the conjugation chart!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "Tú sonas (instead of suenas)."
Correction: Remember 'suenas'—the vowel change is necessary in this form.
⭐ Usage Tips
Direct Use
This form ('tú suenas') is used when you, personally, are the one causing the sound (e.g., ringing a doorbell or blowing a whistle).
When you give an impression based on your speech or appearance (e.g., 'you sound happy'), 'you sound (like)' is translated as suenas.
suenas(verb)
you sound (like)
?Giving an impression based on speech or appearance
,you seem
?Appearing to be a certain way
you appear
?How someone comes across
📝 In Action
Suenas muy nervioso, ¿estás bien?
A2You sound very nervous, are you okay?
Suenas como si no hubieras dormido en días.
B1You sound as if you hadn't slept in days.
¡Qué bien suenas! ¿Ya tienes el trabajo?
B1That sounds great! Do you have the job yet?
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Como'
When you want to say someone 'sounds like' something else, use 'sonar como' (e.g., 'Suenas como un experto,' You sound like an expert).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Sonar' and 'Oír'
Mistake: "Using 'tú oyes cansado' (instead of 'tú suenas cansado')."
Correction: 'Oír' means 'to hear' (the action of your ears). 'Sonar' means 'to sound' or 'to give an impression.' Use 'suenas' to describe how someone comes across.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Impressions
This is a great, natural way to comment on someone's mood or state based on their voice, similar to how we use 'You sound...' in English.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
preterite
present
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: suenas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'suenas' correctly in the sense of 'to seem'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'suenas' used for people or objects?
'Suenas' (the 'tú' form) is always used for people, specifically when you are talking directly to one person. The base verb 'sonar' can refer to both people (meaning 'to seem') and objects (meaning 'to ring' or 'to make noise').
How do I know whether 'suenas' means 'you ring' or 'you seem'?
Context is key! If 'suenas' is followed by a direct object (like 'la campana' or 'el timbre'), it means 'you ring.' If it is followed by an adjective (like 'cansado' or 'feliz'), it means 'you seem' or 'you sound (like).'