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How to Say "releases" in Spanish

English → Spanish

suelta

/SWEL-tah//ˈswelta/

Verb (Conjugated Form)A2Informal
Use 'suelta' when referring to the present tense action of someone or something releasing or letting go of an object, animal, or person.
A close-up view of a person's hand opening their fingers to release a small, colorful bird that is flying away.

Examples

Mi hermana suelta a su gato solo los fines de semana.

My sister releases her cat only on the weekends.

¡Suelta el juguete, es mío!

Let go of the toy, it's mine!

Cuando ella habla, suelta frases muy sabias.

When she speaks, she lets out very wise phrases (figurative).

The O > UE Change

Notice how the 'o' in the middle of the verb 'soltar' changes to 'ue' (suelta) in most present tenses, except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: “Él solta la cuerda.”

Correction: Él suelta la cuerda. (Remember the 'ue' sound in the present tense!)

libera

/lee-BEH-rah//liˈbeɾa/

VerbA2Neutral
Use 'libera' for the general act of freeing or letting go, often implying a more significant release, such as a prisoner or an animal from captivity.
A pair of hands opening the door of a small wooden cage to let a bright blue bird fly out into a sunny sky.

Examples

Ella libera al pájaro de la jaula.

She frees the bird from the cage.

¡Libera a los prisioneros ahora!

Free the prisoners now!

El nuevo software libera espacio en el disco duro.

The new software frees up space on the hard drive.

One Word, Two Jobs

'Libera' can be a statement ('He frees') or a command ('Free it!'). You can tell which one it is by the tone of voice or if there are exclamation marks.

Libera vs. Libre

Mistake: “Saying 'Él es libera' to mean 'He is free.'”

Correction: Use 'Él es libre.' 'Libera' is an action (a verb), while 'libre' is a description (an adjective).

altas

AHL-tas/ˈaltas/

NounB1Formal
Use 'altas' exclusively when referring to the formal discharge or release from a place like a hospital, military service, or a duty.
A colorful storybook illustration of a cheerful patient, now wearing normal clothes, walking out of a stylized hospital entrance, waving goodbye to a nurse standing in the doorway, symbolizing a medical discharge.

Examples

El hospital registró diez altas médicas esta mañana.

The hospital recorded ten medical discharges this morning.

Tuvimos muchas altas nuevas en el gimnasio el mes pasado.

We had many new sign-ups at the gym last month.

El departamento gestiona las altas y las bajas del personal.

The department manages the registrations and cancellations of personnel.

The Noun Form

When 'altas' is used as a noun (usually preceded by 'las' or a number), it refers to the process of being entered into a system or released from a place (like a hospital), meaning you are 'up' or 'active' in the system.

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “Las altas temperaturas son una alta.”

Correction: Las altas temperaturas son un problema. (The noun 'alta' is used for official records, not generally for 'a high thing.')

Verb vs. Noun: 'Suelta/Libera' vs. 'Altas'

The most common mistake is using the verb forms 'suelta' or 'libera' when you actually mean the noun 'altas' for a formal discharge. Remember, 'altas' is a noun referring to the act of being released from a facility, while 'suelta' and 'libera' are verbs describing the action of releasing.

Related Translations

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