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trate

TRAY-teh/ˈtɾate/

try (that I/he/she/it try)

Also: attempt
VerbB1regular ar
A small, determined squirrel stretching its front paws toward a distant tree branch, focusing intently on making a difficult jump.
infinitivetratar
gerundtratando
past Participletratado

📝 In Action

Espero que yo trate de hablar con ella mañana.

B1

I hope that I try to speak with her tomorrow.

No creo que él trate de arreglarlo solo.

B1

I don't believe he tries to fix it alone.

Trate de concentrarse en la tarea, por favor.

A2

Please, try to concentrate on the assignment. (Formal command)

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • tratar de + infinitivo – to try to do something

treat

Also: handle
VerbA2regular ar
A smiling young girl kneeling down to gently pet a large, happy brown dog with a soft hand.

📝 In Action

Exijo que me trate con más respeto.

B1

I demand that he/she treat me with more respect.

Trate a sus clientes como si fueran familia.

A2

Treat your clients as if they were family. (Formal command)

Ella quiere que el doctor trate su herida con cuidado.

A2

She wants the doctor to treat her wound carefully.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • comportarse (to behave)
  • manejar (to manage/handle)

Common Collocations

  • tratar bien/mal a alguien – to treat someone well/badly

be about

Also: deal with
VerbB2regular ar
An open storybook resting on a table, from which a miniature, three-dimensional scene showing a heroic knight standing ready to face a large green dragon is visually lifting off the pages.

📝 In Action

Recomiendo una película que trate de historia antigua.

B2

I recommend a movie that is about ancient history.

Ella duda que el informe trate de ese tema específico.

C1

She doubts that the report deals with that specific topic.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • versar (to be about)
  • referirse (to refer to)

Common Collocations

  • tratar sobre – to deal with (a topic)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedtrata
yotrato
tútratas
ellos/ellas/ustedestratan
nosotrostratamos
vosotrostratáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtrataba
yotrataba
tútratabas
ellos/ellas/ustedestrataban
nosotrostratábamos
vosotrostratabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedtrató
yotraté
tútrataste
ellos/ellas/ustedestrataron
nosotrostratamos
vosotrostratasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedtrate
yotrate
tútrates
ellos/ellas/ustedestraten
nosotrostratemos
vosotrostratéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtratara/tratase
yotratara/tratase
tútrataras/tratases
ellos/ellas/ustedestrataran/tratasen
nosotrostratáramos/tratásemos
vosotrostratarais/trataseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "trate" in Spanish:

attempt→be about→deal with→handle→treat→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: trate

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'trate' as a formal command (Usted)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *tractāre*, meaning 'to handle, manage, or deal with.' This origin explains why the Spanish word covers everything from treating people to handling a subject.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tratarFrench: traiter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'trate' a command or a statement?

'Trate' can be both! It is the formal command form ('Usted,' meaning 'you, formally') for 'tratar,' so it means 'you treat/try.' It is also the special form (subjunctive) used when talking about 'I,' 'he,' 'she,' or 'it' in contexts of doubt, emotion, or desire.

How do I know if 'trate' means 'to try' or 'to treat'?

Look at the little words around it. If it is followed by 'de' + another action (e.g., 'trate de estudiar'), it means 'to try.' If it is followed by the word 'a' and a person (e.g., 'trate a su personal'), it means 'to treat' or 'to deal with.'