volver
“volver” means “to return” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to return, to come back, to go back
📝 In Action
Vuelvo a casa a las seis.
A1I come back home at six.
Mis padres volvieron de su viaje ayer.
A2My parents returned from their trip yesterday.
¿A qué hora vuelves?
A1What time are you coming back?
📝 In Action
He vuelto a leer mi libro favorito.
A2I have read my favorite book again.
Si no entiendes, vuelve a preguntar.
B1If you don't understand, ask again.
¡No vuelvas a decir eso!
B1Don't say that again!
to become, to turn into
Also: to make / to drive
📝 In Action
Se volvió una persona muy optimista.
B2He became a very optimistic person.
Ese ruido me está volviendo loco.
B1That noise is driving me crazy.
El agua se volvió hielo con el frío.
B2The water turned into ice with the cold.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: volver
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly means 'I read the book again'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'volvĕre', which meant 'to turn, to roll, or to twist'. You can see the 'rolling' idea in related English words like 'revolve' and 'involve'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'volver', 'regresar', and 'devolver'?
Think of it this way: 'Volver' and 'regresar' are for people or things returning to a place, and they're very similar ('volver' is just a bit more common). 'Devolver' is specifically for returning an object to someone or some place, like returning a book to the library or giving back money you borrowed.
Why is the past participle 'vuelto' and not 'volvido'?
It's one of Spanish's common irregular past participles! Just like English has 'break, broke, broken' instead of 'breaked', Spanish has some verbs with special forms. Other common ones are 'abrir' -> 'abierto' (opened) and 'escribir' -> 'escrito' (written). You just have to memorize them, and 'vuelto' is a very important one.