How to Say "to donate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to donate” is “donar” — use 'donar' when you are giving money, objects, or even blood directly to a specific cause, organization, or person..
donar
/doh-nahr//doˈnaɾ/
Examples
Ella va a donar sangre al hospital mañana.
She is going to donate blood to the hospital tomorrow.
Yo quiero donar mi ropa vieja a la iglesia.
I want to donate my old clothes to the church.
Muchos jóvenes deciden donar sangre por primera vez en la universidad.
Many young people decide to donate blood for the first time at the university.
La familia decidió donar una gran suma de dinero para el nuevo hospital.
The family decided to donate a large sum of money for the new hospital.
Using 'a' with the recipient
When you mention the person or group receiving the donation, always place the little word 'a' before them (e.g., 'donar a la Cruz Roja').
A Regular Pattern
This verb follows the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar, so it doesn't have any hidden surprises or spelling changes in its forms.
Donar vs. Regalar
Mistake: “Yo dono un juguete a mi hermano por su cumpleaños.”
Correction: Yo le regalo un juguete a mi hermano. Use 'donar' for charities or institutions, and 'regalar' for friends and family.
contribuir
/kon-tree-bwee-eer//kontɾiβuˈiɾ/
Examples
Cada uno puede contribuir con una pequeña cantidad.
Each person can contribute a small amount.
Todos debemos contribuir a la limpieza del parque.
We should all contribute to the cleaning of the park.
Ella contribuyó con cien dólares para el viaje.
She contributed one hundred dollars for the trip.
¿Vas a contribuir con alguna idea para el proyecto?
Are you going to chip in with any ideas for the project?
The 'A' Connection
In Spanish, you almost always need the word 'a' after 'contribuir' when you are saying what you are helping with. For example: 'contribuir a la educación'.
The 'Y' Spelling Rule
For verbs ending in -uir, the letter 'i' changes to a 'y' when it's between two vowels. That's why we say 'él contribuye' instead of 'contribue'.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Contribuir el proyecto.”
Correction: Contribuir al proyecto. (Remember to include 'a' before the thing you are helping with).
Spelling confusion
Mistake: “Él contribuie mucho.”
Correction: Él contribuye mucho. (Don't forget to swap that 'i' for a 'y' in the present tense!)
Donar vs. Contribuir
Related Translations
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