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tejer

te-HERteˈxeɾ

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

to knit, to weave

Also: to crochet
VerbA2regular er
A close-up illustration of two wooden needles knitting soft blue yarn into a small scarf.
gerundtejiendo
past Participletejido
infinitivetejer

📝 In Action

Mi abuela me teje un suéter de lana para el invierno.

A1

My grandmother is knitting me a wool sweater for the winter.

Las arañas tejen sus telas con mucha paciencia.

A2

Spiders weave their webs with a lot of patience.

Aprendí a tejer usando dos agujas largas.

B1

I learned to knit using two long needles.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • entrelazar (to interlace)
  • laborar (to work (crafts))

Antonyms

  • destejer (to unweave/unravel)
  • desarmar (to take apart)

Common Collocations

  • tejer a mano – to knit by hand
  • tejer a máquina – to knit/weave by machine
  • tejer una red – to weave a net/network

to weave, to devise / to plot

VerbB2regular er
A colorful illustration of different colored threads coming together to form a beautiful, intricate tapestry pattern.
gerundtejiendo
past Participletejido
infinitivetejer

📝 In Action

El autor supo tejer una historia llena de misterio.

B2

The author knew how to weave a story full of mystery.

Han tejido una red de mentiras muy difícil de romper.

C1

They have woven a web of lies that is very hard to break.

Los diplomáticos están tejiendo un nuevo acuerdo de paz.

C1

The diplomats are weaving (crafting) a new peace agreement.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tramar (to plot/scheme)
  • maquinar (to engineer/plot)
  • urdir (to warp/conspire)

Common Collocations

  • tejer una trama – to weave a plot
  • tejer alianzas – to build/weave alliances

Idioms & Expressions

  • tejer y destejer – To constantly change one's mind or undo what has been done

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotejiera
tútejieras
él/ella/ustedtejiera
nosotrostejiéramos
vosotrostejierais
ellos/ellas/ustedestejieran

Present Subjunctive

yoteja
tútejas
él/ella/ustedteja
nosotrostejamos
vosotrostejáis
ellos/ellas/ustedestejan

Indicative

Preterite

yotejí
tútejiste
él/ella/ustedtejió
nosotrostejimos
vosotrostejisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedestejieron

Imperfect

yotejía
tútejías
él/ella/ustedtejía
nosotrostejíamos
vosotrostejíais
ellos/ellas/ustedestejían

Present

yotejo
tútejes
él/ella/ustedteje
nosotrostejemos
vosotrostejéis
ellos/ellas/ustedestejen
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tejer" in Spanish:

to crochet→to knit→to weave→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tejer

Question 1 of 3

Which verb would you use if you are using a needle and thread to fix a hole in a shirt?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tejido(fabric / tissue) — Noun
tejedor(weaver) — Noun
tejeduría(weaving mill / the art of weaving) — Noun
destejer(to unweave) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the Latin word 'texere', which meant to weave, construct, or compose.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: textileEnglish: textureFrench: tisser

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'tejer' only mean knitting with two needles?

No, it is a general term for knitting, weaving on a loom, and often includes crocheting in casual conversation.

Is 'tejer' an irregular verb?

No, it is a perfectly regular -er verb. It follows the same patterns as 'comer' or 'beber'.

Can I use 'tejer' to describe a spider making a web?

Yes! In Spanish, spiders 'tejen una telaraña'.