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vender

ben-der/benˈdeɾ/

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

to sell

Also: to market
VerbA1regular er
A cartoon vendor exchanging a bright red apple for a small pile of gold coins held by a customer.
infinitivevender
gerundvendiendo
past Participlevendido

📝 In Action

Mi tío vende autos usados en el mercado.

A1

My uncle sells used cars at the market.

¿A qué precio vendieron la casa finalmente?

A2

At what price did they finally sell the house?

Estamos vendiendo los productos a mitad de precio para liquidar el inventario.

B1

We are selling the products at half price to clear the inventory.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • comerciar (to trade)
  • deshacerse de (to get rid of)

Antonyms

  • comprar (to buy)
  • adquirir (to acquire)

Common Collocations

  • vender caro – to sell dearly (expensive)
  • vender al por mayor – to sell wholesale

Idioms & Expressions

  • vender humo – to sell smoke (to boast, exaggerate, or mislead)

to betray, to sell out

Also: to make a fool of
VerbC1regular erneutral/informal (often figurative)
Mexico
A small figure secretly passing a rolled parchment (a secret) to a hidden, shadowy hand emerging from behind a brightly colored curtain, symbolizing betrayal.

📝 In Action

Se vendió a la empresa por un ascenso y mucho dinero.

C1

He sold out to the company for a promotion and a lot of money.

No puedes vender a tus amigos revelando sus secretos.

B2

You can't betray your friends by revealing their secrets.

Los críticos dicen que el artista se ha vendido al mercado comercial.

C1

Critics say the artist has sold out to the commercial market.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • traicionar (to betray)
  • delatar (to inform on)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • vender el alma – to sell one's soul

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedvende
yovendo
túvendes
ellos/ellas/ustedesvenden
nosotrosvendemos
vosotrosvendéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedvendía
yovendía
túvendías
ellos/ellas/ustedesvendían
nosotrosvendíamos
vosotrosvendíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedvendió
yovendí
túvendiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesvendieron
nosotrosvendimos
vosotrosvendisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedvenda
yovenda
túvendas
ellos/ellas/ustedesvendan
nosotrosvendamos
vosotrosvendáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedvendiera
yovendiera
túvendieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesvendieran
nosotrosvendiéramos
vosotrosvendierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "vender" in Spanish:

to betray→to market→to sell→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: vender

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses the figurative, negative meaning of 'vender'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *vendere*, which itself was formed by combining two older Latin ideas: *venum* (meaning 'something for sale') and *dare* (meaning 'to give'). So, to 'vender' literally means 'to give something for sale'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century (in early Spanish/Iberian dialects)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: venderItalian: vendereFrench: vendre

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'vender' conjugated like 'ir' or 'estar'?

'Vender' is a regular -ER verb, which makes its conjugation very predictable and easy! It does not follow the special, irregular patterns of verbs like 'ir' (to go) or 'estar' (to be).

What is the most important noun related to 'vender'?

The most important related noun is 'la venta,' which means 'the sale.' You will hear this word constantly in Spanish, from 'punto de venta' (point of sale) to 'oferta de venta' (sale offer).