Inklingo

How to Say "hurry up" in Spanish

English → Spanish

apúrense

/ah-POO-ren-seh//aˈpuɾense/

verbA2formal
Use this formal command when directly telling a group of people (ustedes) to move faster, often when there's a time constraint like a departing train.
A group of cheerful people in athletic gear running quickly together toward a finish line.

Examples

¡Apúrense, que el tren ya se va!

Hurry up, the train is leaving!

Por favor, apúrense con la cena; tenemos hambre.

Please, hurry up with dinner; we're hungry.

Si no se apuran, llegaremos tarde al cine.

If you all don't hurry up, we'll be late to the movies.

The 'se' at the end

The 'se' is a special tag showing that you are telling the group to do the action to themselves. In Spanish, many verbs like 'hurry' or 'sit' need this extra tag.

Talking to a group

This specific form ends in '-nse' because it's used when talking to 'ustedes' (the plural 'you' used in Latin America).

Missing the 'se'

Mistake: “Apúren”

Correction: Apúrense. Without the 'se', it sounds incomplete because the verb 'apurarse' needs that reflexive tag to mean 'to hurry up'.

venga

/ben-ga//ˈben.ɡa/

interjectionA2informal
Use this informal interjection to urge someone to be quicker, often in a friendly or slightly impatient way, like when you're about to miss transportation.
Two storybook children running a race; the child in the lead is turning back and pumping a fist in the air to encourage the struggling second child, depicting 'Come on!'.

Examples

¡Venga, que perdemos el autobús!

Come on, we're going to miss the bus!

¿Nos vemos mañana? — Venga, vale.

See you tomorrow? — Okay, sure.

Bueno, me voy. ¡Venga, hasta luego!

Well, I'm off. Alright, see you later!

vamos

/BA-mos//'bamos/

interjectionA2informal
Use this interjection to express impatience or to encourage someone to speed up, often in a motivational context, implying 'let's go' or 'get a move on'.
A fan at a sports game cheering enthusiastically, representing encouragement and excitement.

Examples

¡Vamos, tú puedes hacerlo!

Come on, you can do it!

¡Vamos, equipo! ¡A ganar!

Let's go, team! Let's win!

¡Pero vamos! ¿Todavía no estás listo?

Come on! You're still not ready?

Choosing between 'vamos' and 'venga'

Learners often confuse 'vamos' and 'venga' as they are both informal interjections used to encourage speed. 'Venga' is more directly telling someone to hurry, while 'vamos' can also mean 'let's go' or be used for general encouragement.

Related Translations

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