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sumar

soo-MAHR/suˈmaɾ/

“sumar” means “to add” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to add

Also: to total, to add up to
VerbA1regular ar
A wooden table with two red apples on one side and three green apples on the other, being pushed together into a single pile.
gerundsumando
past Participlesumado
infinitivesumar

📝 In Action

Los niños están aprendiendo a sumar en la escuela.

A1

The children are learning to add in school.

Si sumas dos y dos, el resultado es cuatro.

A1

If you add two and two, the result is four.

Los gastos del mes suman quinientos euros.

A2

The month's expenses add up to five hundred euros.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • adicionar (to add)
  • totalizar (to total)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • sumar y restar – to add and subtract
  • aprender a sumar – to learn how to add

to contribute

Also: to bring to the table, to include
VerbB1regular ar
A large group of people each placing a single colorful brick onto a growing tower.
gerundsumando
past Participlesumado
infinitivesumar

📝 In Action

Queremos sumar nuevos talentos al equipo.

B1

We want to add new talents to the team.

Toda crítica constructiva suma al proyecto.

B2

Every constructive criticism adds value to the project.

Su experiencia suma mucho en esta negociación.

B2

His experience brings a lot to the table in this negotiation.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • restar (to detract/take away from)

Common Collocations

  • sumar esfuerzos – to join forces / to combine efforts
  • sumar puntos – to score points / to gain favor

Idioms & Expressions

  • no sumar ni restar – to be irrelevant or indifferent

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessumaran
yosumara
túsumaras
vosotrossumarais
nosotrossumáramos
él/ella/ustedsumara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessumen
yosume
túsumes
vosotrossuméis
nosotrossumemos
él/ella/ustedsume

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedessumaron
yosumé
túsumaste
vosotrossumasteis
nosotrossumamos
él/ella/ustedsumó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessumaban
yosumaba
túsumabas
vosotrossumabais
nosotrossumábamos
él/ella/ustedsumaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessuman
yosumo
túsumas
vosotrossumáis
nosotrossumamos
él/ella/ustedsuma
View All Tenses & Moods →

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: sumar

Question 1 of 3

How would you say 'Five plus five is ten' using a form of 'sumar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
suma(addition / sum) — Noun
sumado(added) — Adjective
sumamente(extremely) — Adverb
sumando(number to be added) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'summare,' which means to provide a summary or to calculate the total amount.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: sumFrench: sommerPortuguese: somar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'sumar' always about numbers?

Not always! While it starts with math, it is very common to use it metaphorically to mean 'to contribute' or 'to add value' to a project or conversation.

What is the difference between 'sumar' and 'añadir'?

Think of 'sumar' as mathematical or abstract (adding value). Use 'añadir' when you are putting more of a physical substance into something, like adding milk to coffee.

Can 'sumar' be used for people?

Yes! You can 'sumar a alguien al equipo' (add someone to the team), meaning you are including them to increase the team's strength.