Inklingo

How to Say "they returned" in Spanish

The Spanish word forthey returnedis volvieronA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
VerbA2
came back to a place
Two smiling children stand happily at the front door of a bright yellow house, having just arrived home.

Examples

Mis padres volvieron de su viaje ayer.

My parents returned from their trip yesterday.

¿A qué hora volvieron ustedes del concierto?

What time did you all return from the concert?

Volvieron a empezar el proyecto porque la primera versión estaba mal.

They started the project again because the first version was wrong.

Use of the Preterite Tense

"Volvieron" uses the simple past (preterite) tense, which tells you the action of returning started and finished at a specific point in the past.

Volver a + Infinitive

When you see 'volvieron a' followed by another verb (e.g., 'volvieron a llamar'), it means 'they did something again' or 'they repeated the action'.

Confusing Volver and Devolver

Mistake:Using 'volvieron' when you mean 'they gave back' (an object).

Correction: Use 'devolvieron' (they returned/gave back) for objects, and 'volvieron' for people returning to a place. E.g., 'Devolvieron el libro.'

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