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tender

ten-DEHR/tenˈdeɾ/

“tender” means “to hang out” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to hang out

Also: to lay out, to make
VerbA2irregular (e to ie change) er
Latin America
Colorful clothes hanging on a string between two poles in a sunny yard.
gerundtendiendo
past Participletendido
infinitivetender

📝 In Action

Hace sol, voy a tender la ropa en el patio.

A2

It's sunny, I'm going to hang out the laundry in the patio.

Siempre tendemos las toallas mojadas después de la piscina.

A2

We always hang out the wet towels after the pool.

Ayúdame a tender el mantel sobre la mesa.

B1

Help me spread the tablecloth over the table.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • tender la ropa – to hang out the washing
  • tender la cama – to make the bed

to tend to

Also: to reach out
VerbB2irregular (e to ie change) er
A small plant leaning its stem and leaves towards the bright sun coming from a window.
gerundtendiendo
past Participletendido
infinitivetender

📝 In Action

Las temperaturas tienden a bajar por la noche.

B2

Temperatures tend to drop at night.

Le tendió la mano para ayudarle a subir.

B2

He reached out his hand to help him up.

Ella tiende a ser optimista en situaciones difíciles.

C1

She tends to be optimistic in difficult situations.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • tender a infinito – to tend towards infinity
  • tender la mano – to reach out/offer a hand
  • tender un puente – to build a bridge (figuratively)

Idioms & Expressions

  • tender una trampa – to set a trap

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedestendieran
yotendiera
tútendieras
vosotrostendierais
nosotrosendiéramos
él/ella/ustedtendiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedestiendan
yotienda
tútiendas
vosotrostendáis
nosotrostendamos
él/ella/ustedtienda

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedestendieron
yotendí
tútendiste
vosotrostendisteis
nosotrostendimos
él/ella/ustedtendió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedestendían
yotendía
tútendías
vosotrostendíais
nosotrostendíamos
él/ella/ustedtendía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedestienden
yotiendo
tútiendes
vosotrostendéis
nosotrostendemos
él/ella/ustedtiende
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tender" in Spanish:

to make→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tender

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I hang out the clothes' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tendencia(tendency) — Noun
tendido(laid out / line of laundry) — Adjective / Noun
tierno(tender (soft)) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin verb 'tendere', meaning to stretch, extend, or aim.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: extendFrench: tendre

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'tender' and 'tierno'?

'Tender' is a verb meaning to hang, stretch, or tend to. 'Tierno' is an adjective meaning soft, delicate, or affectionate. They are often confused by English speakers because 'tender' in English is an adjective.

Is 'tender' always followed by 'a'?

Only when it means 'to have a tendency' (e.g., 'Tiende a mentir'). When it means 'to hang clothes' or 'to spread', you don't need the 'a' before the object.

Is it a regular verb?

No, it's slightly irregular. The letter 'e' changes to 'ie' in most present tense forms (tiendo, tiendes, etc.).