Inklingo

How to Say "to store" in Spanish

English → Spanish

guardar

/gwar-DAR//ɡwaɾˈðaɾ/

verbA1general
Use 'guardar' when you are putting an item in a specific place, often for safekeeping or to put it away neatly.
A small child putting a colorful wooden block into a large, open toy chest, illustrating the action of storing an object.

Examples

Ella siempre guarda las llaves en el mismo cajón.

She always keeps the keys in the same drawer.

¿Dónde guardaste la aspiradora?

Where did you store the vacuum cleaner?

Guarda el cambio, lo necesitarás más tarde.

Keep the change, you will need it later.

Regular AR Verb

Guardar follows the standard pattern for all -AR verbs. Just drop the -ar and add the appropriate endings (e.g., Yo guardo, Tú guardas).

Confusing with 'Save Money'

Mistake: “Voy a guardar dinero.”

Correction: Voy a ahorrar dinero. ('Guardar' is physical storage; 'ahorrar' is saving money.)

conservar

/kon-ser-VAR//kon.seɾˈβaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'conservar' when you are talking about keeping something in good condition over time, especially food or important items.
Several glass jars of colorful preserved vegetables, such as pickles and carrots, lined up neatly on a rustic wooden shelf.

Examples

Necesitas refrigerar la leche para conservarla.

You need to refrigerate the milk to preserve it.

Los museos conservan artefactos muy antiguos.

Museums conserve (or preserve) very old artifacts.

Mi abuela sabe cómo conservar mermelada casera.

My grandmother knows how to preserve homemade jam.

Regular -AR Verb

'Conservar' is one of the easiest verbs to learn because it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. Just remember the endings!

Guardar vs. Conservar

Learners often confuse 'guardar' and 'conservar' by using 'guardar' when they mean to preserve something. Remember, 'guardar' is about placing an item somewhere, while 'conservar' is about maintaining its state over time.

Related Translations

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