suspender
“suspender” means “to fail” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to fail
Also: to flunk
📝 In Action
He suspendido el examen de conducir.
A2I failed my driving test.
El profesor suspendió a media clase.
B1The teacher failed half the class.
Si no estudias, vas a suspender matemáticas.
A2If you don't study, you're going to fail math.
to cancel, to postpone
Also: to halt
📝 In Action
Han suspendido el partido por la lluvia.
B1They have cancelled the game because of the rain.
El servicio de trenes ha sido suspendido temporalmente.
B2The train service has been temporarily suspended.
Tuvieron que suspender la reunión a última hora.
B1They had to call off the meeting at the last minute.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: suspender
Question 1 of 3
If you are in Spain and a teacher says 'Has suspendido el examen', what happened?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'suspendere', which literally means 'to hang up'. Over time, it evolved from physically hanging something to 'hanging' an event (delaying it) or 'hanging up' a student's progress (failing them).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'suspender' used for hanging clothes?
Technically yes (to hang something), but it's very formal. Most people use 'colgar' for hanging clothes or pictures.
Do people in Mexico use 'suspender' for failing grades?
They understand it, but they almost always use 'reprobar'. If you say 'suspendí' in Mexico, they might think you were sent home from work.
Does 'suspender' always mean it's temporary?
Usually, yes. It suggests a pause or a temporary halt, though in school, failing a test feels pretty permanent until the retake!