A young child, smiling, walking forward and presenting a bright red apple held in their hand.

traigo

TRAH-ee-goh

I bring?moving something towards the speaker,I carry?transporting something

Also:I wear?used regionally for clothing, e.g., 'Traigo puesto un abrigo.',I have (with me)?possessing something temporarily

Quick Reference

infinitivetraer

gerundtrayendo

past Participletraído

📝 In Action

Traigo mi almuerzo al trabajo todos los días.

I bring my lunch to work every day.

Perdón, no traigo suficiente cambio.

Sorry, I don't have enough change (with me).

¿Qué te traigo de la farmacia?

What should I bring you from the pharmacy?

Traigo buenas noticias para ti.

I bring good news for you.

Word Connections

Synonyms

llevar (to take)
acarrear (to haul/transport)

Common Collocations

traigo el coche – I bring the car
traigo los niños – I bring the children

Idioms & Expressions

traer cola – to have lasting consequences or complications

💡 Grammar Points

The Irregular 'Go' Ending

The 'yo' form of traer is highly irregular, ending in '-go' (traigo) instead of the standard '-o'. This pattern is shared by other important verbs like tener (tengo) and venir (vengo).

Traer vs. Llevar (Direction)

Traer (Traigo) means bringing something to the speaker (or the location where the conversation is happening). Llevar means taking or carrying something away from the speaker.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Missing the 'G'

Mistake: "Using 'yo trao' instead of 'yo traigo'."

Correction: Always remember the 'g' in the present tense: *traigo, traiga, traigamos*. The 'g' sound is the key irregular feature.

⭐ Usage Tips

Mental Picture Tip

Think of traer as motion inwards (towards you) and llevar as motion outwards (away from you). If the item is coming to you, use traer.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: traigo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'traigo' (traer) instead of 'llevo' (llevar)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

traer(to bring) - verb

traído(brought (past participle)) - adjective/participle

traición(betrayal (related through Latin root)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'traigo' have a 'g' when the infinitive 'traer' doesn't?

This is a historical irregularity common in Spanish verbs that originally had a 'j' or 'g' sound in Latin. The 'g' was added to the 'yo' form (traigo) and is also used as the stem for the subjunctive (traiga) to keep the sound consistent.

Is 'traigo' pronounced 'TRA-ee-go' or 'TRY-go'?

It is typically pronounced with two syllables: TRAH-ee-goh (/ˈtɾaj.ɣo/). The 'ai' often blends into a single syllable sound like the English word 'try,' making it sound like 'TRY-goh' in fast speech.