How to Say "to respond" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to respond” is “contestar” — use 'contestar' when you are providing an answer to a question, a message, or a call..
contestar
/kon-tes-tar//kon.tesˈtaɾ/
Examples
¿Puedes contestar a mi pregunta, por favor?
Can you answer my question, please?
Ella contestó el correo electrónico inmediatamente.
She replied to the email immediately.
Siempre contesta con mucha calma, aunque esté molesto.
He always answers very calmly, even if he is annoyed.
Using 'a' with 'Contestar'
You can say 'contestar la pregunta' (answer the question) or 'contestar a la pregunta.' Both are correct, but using 'a' is becoming less common in many regions, especially when answering things directly.
Confusing 'Answer' and 'Ask'
Mistake: “Using 'contestar' when you mean 'to ask' (preguntar).”
Correction: Remember: 'Contestar' is for giving the response. The action of asking is 'preguntar' or 'hacer una pregunta.'
reaccionar
/re-ak-syo-NAR//reaksjoˈnar/
Examples
Ella reacciona con una sonrisa cuando me ve.
She reacts with a smile when she sees me.
No sé cómo reaccionar ante este problema.
I don't know how to react to this problem.
Los mercados reaccionaron mal a la noticia del lunes.
The markets reacted poorly to Monday's news.
Using 'A' and 'Ante'
To say you are reacting 'to' something, Spanish usually uses the tiny connecting words 'a' or 'ante'. For example: 'reaccionar a la luz' (react to the light).
Completely Regular
Good news! This verb follows the standard patterns for all verbs ending in -ar. No surprise spelling changes here.
Reacting 'with' vs 'to'
Mistake: “Reacciono con la noticia.”
Correction: Reacciono a la noticia. (Use 'a' for the cause, use 'con' for the emotion you feel while reacting).
Answering vs. Reacting
Related Translations
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