tratando
“tratando” means “trying” in Spanish (when attempting to do something).
📝 In Action
Estoy tratando de aprender español.
A2I'm trying to learn Spanish.
Sigue tratando, ¡casi lo tienes!
B1Keep trying, you almost have it!
Estamos tratando este asunto en la reunión.
B1We are dealing with this matter in the meeting.
El médico está tratando a mi abuela con un nuevo medicamento.
B2The doctor is treating my grandmother with a new medicine.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tratando
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'tratando' to mean 'I am trying to cook'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the verb 'tratar', which traces back to the Latin word 'tractāre'. 'Tractāre' meant to handle, manage, or drag along. You can see how this evolved into the modern Spanish meanings of handling a situation ('tratar un tema') and trying to pull something off ('tratar de hacer algo').
First recorded: Around the 13th century (for the verb 'tratar').
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'tratando' and 'intentando'?
They are very similar and often interchangeable when they mean 'trying'. 'Intentando' is a bit more focused on the attempt itself, while 'tratando' can sometimes imply a process or effort. For beginners, you can use them almost identically for 'trying'.
Can I use 'tratando' by itself?
Not usually to make a full sentence. It needs a helper verb, most commonly a form of 'estar' (like 'estoy', 'está', 'estamos'). You might see it alone in a phrase like 'Sigue tratando' (Keep trying), where 'sigue' is the main verb.