vuelven
/bwel-ben/
they return
Vuelven (they return) illustrates the action of coming back to a place.
vuelven(verb)
they return
?to a place
,you return
?plural formal (ustedes)
they come back
?physical movement
,they go back
?movement
📝 In Action
Mis padres siempre vuelven tarde del trabajo.
A1My parents always return late from work.
¿A qué hora vuelven ustedes de la excursión?
A2What time are you (all) coming back from the trip?
Las golondrinas vuelven cada primavera.
B1The swallows return every spring.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'O to UE' Change
In the present tense, the 'o' in the middle of 'volver' changes to 'ue' (vuelven, vuelvo, vuelves, etc.), except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "Using 'volven' instead of 'vuelven'."
Correction: Remember 'volver' is like 'poder' (to be able to); it needs the 'ue' sound in most present forms: 'vuelven'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Movement Verb
Like many movement verbs, 'volver' often uses the preposition 'a' (to) when specifying the destination: 'vuelven a la oficina' (they return to the office).
Vuelven (they do... again) is used when describing a repeated action.
vuelven(verb)
they do... again
?used with 'a' + infinitive
they repeat
?action
📝 In Action
Si no estudian, vuelven a suspender el examen.
B1If they don't study, they will fail the exam again.
Los niños vuelven a preguntar por qué el cielo es azul.
B2The children are asking again why the sky is blue.
💡 Grammar Points
Expressing Repetition
The structure 'volver a + [another verb in its base form]' is the standard way to say 'to do something again' in Spanish.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Translating 'Again' Literally
Mistake: "Using 'otra vez' awkwardly: 'Ellos hacen otra vez el trabajo.'"
Correction: While 'otra vez' works, using 'vuelven a hacer el trabajo' is much more natural and common.
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Action
When using this structure, the action itself is in the infinitive (the base form), and 'vuelven' only carries the meaning of 'repetition'.
Vuelven (they turn) refers to the action of rotating or flipping something.
vuelven(verb)
they turn
?to flip or rotate something
they face
?physical orientation
,they flip over
?objects
📝 In Action
Los cocineros vuelven las tortillas en la sartén.
B2The cooks flip the tortillas in the pan.
Vuelven los ojos hacia el cielo, buscando la estrella fugaz.
C1They turn their eyes toward the sky, looking for the shooting star.
💡 Grammar Points
Transitive Use
In this sense, 'vuelven' acts on an object (like a tortilla or a page). They turn something.
⭐ Usage Tips
Differentiating 'Turn'
For turning around or becoming (a change in state), Spanish usually prefers the reflexive form 'volverse' (se vuelven), but for flipping objects, 'volver' is correct.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: vuelven
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'vuelven' is used in the sentence: 'Los niños vuelven a ver la película'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'vuelven' the same as 'regresan'?
They are very similar! Both mean 'they return.' 'Volver' is slightly more flexible and is also used in the set phrase 'volver a + verb' (to do again), which 'regresar' cannot do.
Why does 'vuelven' have a 'u' but 'volvemos' does not?
This is because 'volver' is an irregular, stem-changing verb. The 'o' changes to 'ue' whenever it is stressed when you say it. Since the stress falls on the 'o' in 'vuelven', it changes. But in 'volvemos,' the stress is on the 'e' (vol-VÉ-mos), so the 'o' stays the same.