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sumar

soo-MAHRsuˈmaɾ

“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

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

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

Present Subjunctive

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

Indicative

Preterite

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

Imperfect

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

Present

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

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "sumar" in Spanish:

to add→to contribute→to include→to total→

🗣️ 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.