What does volver mean in English?

Volver means "to return" in English.

How do you conjugate volver in Spanish?

Volver is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with volver?

Common idiomatic expressions using volver include: "volver a" (to do again), "volver en sí" (to come to / to regain consciousness), "volver loco" (to drive crazy). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using volver?

Volver is a stem-changing verb: o→ue in stressed syllables (vuelvo, vuelves)

What verbs are related to volver?

Verbs related to volver include: devolver, revolver, envolver. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use volver in a sentence?

Example: "Vuelvo a casa a las seis." which means "I return home at six." in English.

What are synonyms for volver?

Spanish synonyms for volver include: regresar, retornar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Volver

to return

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

volver

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

volviendo

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

vuelto

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	vuelvo I return	I return
tú	vuelves you return	you return
él/ella/usted	vuelve he/she/you returns	he/she/you returns
nosotros	volvemos we return	we return
vosotros	volvéis you all return	you all return
ellos/ustedes	vuelven they/you all return	they/you all return

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	volvía I used to return	I used to return
tú	volvías you used to return	you used to return
él/ella/usted	volvía he/she/you used to return	he/she/you used to return
nosotros	volvíamos we used to return	we used to return
vosotros	volvíais you all used to return	you all used to return
ellos/ustedes	volvían they/you all used to return	they/you all used to return

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	volví I returned	I returned
tú	volviste you returned	you returned
él/ella/usted	volvió he/she/you returned	he/she/you returned
nosotros	volvimos we returned	we returned
vosotros	volvisteis you all returned	you all returned
ellos/ustedes	volvieron they/you all returned	they/you all returned

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	volveré I will return	I will return
tú	volverás you will return	you will return
él/ella/usted	volverá he/she/you will return	he/she/you will return
nosotros	volveremos we will return	we will return
vosotros	volveréis you all will return	you all will return
ellos/ustedes	volverán they/you all will return	they/you all will return

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	volvería I would return	I would return
tú	volverías you would return	you would return
él/ella/usted	volvería he/she/you would return	he/she/you would return
nosotros	volveríamos we would return	we would return
vosotros	volveríais you all would return	you all would return
ellos/ustedes	volverían they/you all would return	they/you all would return

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	vuelva that I return	that I return
tú	vuelvas that you return	that you return
él/ella/usted	vuelva that he/she/you return	that he/she/you return
nosotros	volvamos that we return	that we return
vosotros	volváis that you all return	that you all return
ellos/ustedes	vuelvan that they/you all return	that they/you all return

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	volviera or volviese that I returned	that I returned
tú	volvieras or volvieses that you returned	that you returned
él/ella/usted	volviera or volviese that he/she/you returned	that he/she/you returned
nosotros	volviéramos or volviésemos that we returned	that we returned
vosotros	volvierais or volvieseis that you all returned	that you all returned
ellos/ustedes	volvieran or volviesen that they/you all returned	that they/you all returned

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he vuelto I have returned	I have returned
tú	has vuelto you have returned	you have returned
él/ella/usted	ha vuelto he/she/you have returned	he/she/you have returned
nosotros	hemos vuelto we have returned	we have returned
vosotros	habéis vuelto you all have returned	you all have returned
ellos/ustedes	han vuelto they/you all have returned	they/you all have returned

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había vuelto I had returned	I had returned
tú	habías vuelto you had returned	you had returned
él/ella/usted	había vuelto he/she/you had returned	he/she/you had returned
nosotros	habíamos vuelto we had returned	we had returned
vosotros	habíais vuelto you all had returned	you all had returned
ellos/ustedes	habían vuelto they/you all had returned	they/you all had returned

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube vuelto I had returned	I had returned
tú	hubiste vuelto you had returned	you had returned
él/ella/usted	hubo vuelto he/she/you had returned	he/she/you had returned
nosotros	hubimos vuelto we had returned	we had returned
vosotros	hubisteis vuelto you all had returned	you all had returned
ellos/ustedes	hubieron vuelto they/you all had returned	they/you all had returned

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré vuelto I will have returned	I will have returned
tú	habrás vuelto you will have returned	you will have returned
él/ella/usted	habrá vuelto he/she/you will have returned	he/she/you will have returned
nosotros	habremos vuelto we will have returned	we will have returned
vosotros	habréis vuelto you all will have returned	you all will have returned
ellos/ustedes	habrán vuelto they/you all will have returned	they/you all will have returned

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría vuelto I would have returned	I would have returned
tú	habrías vuelto you would have returned	you would have returned
él/ella/usted	habría vuelto he/she/you would have returned	he/she/you would have returned
nosotros	habríamos vuelto we would have returned	we would have returned
vosotros	habríais vuelto you all would have returned	you all would have returned
ellos/ustedes	habrían vuelto they/you all would have returned	they/you all would have returned

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya vuelto that I have returned	that I have returned
tú	hayas vuelto that you have returned	that you have returned
él/ella/usted	haya vuelto that he/she/you have returned	that he/she/you have returned
nosotros	hayamos vuelto that we have returned	that we have returned
vosotros	hayáis vuelto that you all have returned	that you all have returned
ellos/ustedes	hayan vuelto that they/you all have returned	that they/you all have returned

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera vuelto that I had returned	that I had returned
tú	hubieras vuelto that you had returned	that you had returned
él/ella/usted	hubiera vuelto that he/she/you had returned	that he/she/you had returned
nosotros	hubiéramos vuelto that we had returned	that we had returned
vosotros	hubierais vuelto that you all had returned	that you all had returned
ellos/ustedes	hubieran vuelto that they/you all had returned	that they/you all had returned

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	vuelve	return! (you)
usted	vuelva	return! (you formal)
nosotros	volvamos	let's return!
vosotros	volved	return! (you all)
ustedes	vuelvan	return! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no vuelvas	don't return! (you)
usted	no vuelva	don't return! (you formal)
nosotros	no volvamos	let's not return!
vosotros	no volváis	don't return! (you all)
ustedes	no vuelvan	don't return! (you all)

More About "volver"

Idiomatic Expressions

volver a

to do again

💡 Repeating an action (volver a + infinitive)

volver en sí

to come to / to regain consciousness

💡 Waking up or recovering awareness

volver loco

to drive crazy

💡 Making someone frustrated or crazy

volver la espalda

to turn one's back on

💡 Abandoning or rejecting someone

volverse atrás

to go back on one's word / to back out

💡 Changing one's mind or breaking a commitment

dar la vuelta

to turn around

💡 Physical turning or reversing direction

Examples in Context

Vuelvo a casa a las seis.

I return home at six.

Present

Volví a ver esa película ayer.

I watched that movie again yesterday.

Preterite

¿Cuándo vuelves de tu viaje?

When do you return from your trip?

Present

He vuelto a cometer el mismo error.

I have made the same mistake again.

Present Perfect

Volveré pronto, te lo prometo.

I will return soon, I promise.

Future

Related Verbs

devolver(to return, give back)

compound - to return (something)/give back

revolver(to stir, mix up)

compound - to stir/mix up

envolver(to wrap)

compound - to wrap

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

regresar(to return, go back)

More common in Latin America

retornar(to return)

More formal or literary

Antonyms:

ir(to go)

salir(to leave)

partir(to depart)

Usage Notes

•Volver is a stem-changing verb: o→ue in stressed syllables (vuelvo, vuelves)
•Main meanings: to return, to come back, to turn (into)
•Irregular past participle: vuelto (not "volvido")
•"Volver a" + infinitive means "to do something again": vuelvo a intentar (I try again)
•Stem change applies in present, present subjunctive, and imperative
•Preterite is regular: volví, volviste, volvió
•Reflexive form "volverse" means "to become" or "to turn around"
•Common in perfect tenses: he vuelto (I have returned)

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Volver

Simple Tenses

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