Ahorrar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

ahorrar means "to save (money)" in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Ahorrar means "to save" — money, time, energy, water. It is the verb for putting something aside instead of spending it: ahorras dinero cada mes, you save money every month; ahorras agua, you save water. It is also used for sparing someone trouble (ahorrar un disgusto). It is a fully regular -ar verb, and its present tense is the everyday language of budgets, shopping and good habits. Note the double r: ahorrar, ahorro, ahorras — learners often write it with one r. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by meaning, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of ahorrar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the ahorrar present tense page.

ahorrar in everyday use: examples with translations

Saving money

  1. Yo ahorro cien euros al mes. — "I save one hundred euros a month."
  2. Mi hijo ahorra para un coche. — "My son saves for a car."
  3. El año pasado yo ahorré mil euros. — "Last year I saved a thousand euros."
  4. De joven, yo ahorraba poco dinero. — "When I was young, I used to save little money."

Saving time and resources

  1. Tú ahorras tiempo con el tren. — "You save time with the train."
  2. Nosotros ahorramos agua en casa. — "We save water at home."
  3. Nosotros ahorraremos mucho con el nuevo plan. — "We will save a lot with the new plan."
  4. Yo he ahorrado doscientos euros este mes. — "I have saved two hundred euros this month."

Saving for a goal

  1. Yo ahorro para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."
  2. Ellos ahorran para la universidad de sus hijos. — "They save for their children's university."
  3. Yo ahorraría más si ganara más. — "I would save more if I earned more."
  4. Vosotros ahorráis poco porque gastáis mucho. — "You save little because you spend a lot."

ahorrar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use ahorrar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

A family talks about the holiday fund.

  • Madre: Yo ahorro para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."
  • Hijo: Mi hijo ahorra para un coche. — "My son saves for a car."
  • Madre: Yo ahorro cien euros al mes. — "I save one hundred euros a month."
  • Hijo: Nosotros ahorraremos mucho con el nuevo plan. — "We will save a lot with the new plan."

Two friends compare shopping habits.

  • Ana: Tú ahorras mucho con las ofertas. — "You save a lot with the offers."
  • Bea: Nosotros ahorramos agua en casa. — "We save water at home."
  • Ana: ¿Tú ahorras tiempo con el tren? — "Do you save time with the train?"
  • Bea: Ellos ahorran para la universidad de sus hijos. — "They save for their children's university."

Common mistakes with ahorrar

The errors learners actually make with ahorrar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ *Yo ahorro dinero (written with one r: *ahoro).

✓ Correct: Yo ahorro cien euros al mes.

Ahorrar has a double r in every form: ahorro, ahorras, ahorra. One r is a spelling error.

✗ *Yo ahorro a las vacaciones.

✓ Correct: Yo ahorro para las vacaciones.

The goal of saving takes para: ahorrar para las vacaciones, never ahorrar a las vacaciones.

✗ *Vosotros ahorráis poco (written without the accent: ahorrais).

✓ Correct: Vosotros ahorráis poco porque gastáis mucho.

Ahorráis needs the written accent on the á.

✗ *Nosotros ahorramos a agua en casa.

✓ Correct: Nosotros ahorramos agua en casa.

Water is a thing: ahorrar agua, with no a before it.

Quiz: ahorrar in use

Ten questions on ahorrar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ cien euros al mes. — "I save one hundred euros a month."

  • a) ahorras
  • b) ahorro
  • c) ahorra
  • d) ahorré

2. Complete the sentence: El año pasado yo ______ mil euros. — "Last year I saved a thousand euros."

  • a) ahorraste
  • b) ahorro
  • c) ahorré
  • d) ahorró

3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ agua en casa. — "We save water at home."

  • a) ahorras
  • b) ahorramos
  • c) ahorramos
  • d) ahorro

4. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."

  • a) ahorras
  • b) ahorré
  • c) ahorra
  • d) ahorro

5. Which is the correct present tense form of ahorrar for yo?

  • a) ahorro
  • b) ahorra
  • c) ahorras
  • d) ahorramos

6. Which is the correct present tense form of ahorrar for tú?

  • a) ahorramos
  • b) ahorro
  • c) ahorra
  • d) ahorras

7. Which is the correct present tense form of ahorrar for ellos/ellas/Uds.?

  • a) ahorro
  • b) ahorran
  • c) ahorra
  • d) ahorras

8. Which sentence uses ahorrar correctly?

  • a) Nosotros ahorra electricidad con luces LED.
  • b) Nosotros ahorrábamos electricidad con luces LED.
  • c) Nosotros ahorramos electricidad con luces LED.

9. What is the past participle of ahorrar?

  • a) ahorrando
  • b) ahorro
  • c) ahorrado
  • d) ahorró

10. What does ahorrar mean in English?

  • a) to spend
  • b) to have
  • c) to save (money)
  • d) to go

Answer key

  1. b) ahorro — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: ahorro.

  2. c) ahorré — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: ahorré.

  3. b) ahorramos — The sentence needs the nosotros/as form in the present: ahorramos.

  4. d) ahorro — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: ahorro.

  5. a) ahorro — The present tense form for yo is ahorro.

  6. d) ahorras — The present tense form for tú is ahorras.

  7. b) ahorran — The present tense form for ellos/ellas/Uds. is ahorran.

  8. c) Nosotros ahorramos electricidad con luces LED. — Nosotros ahorramos electricidad con luces LED. is correct. The other sentences use the wrong person, the wrong tense, or the wrong pattern for this verb.

  9. c) ahorrado — The past participle is ahorrado. You need it for every perfect tense with haber: he ahorrado, has ahorrado, ha ahorrado.

  10. c) to save (money) — ahorrar means "to save (money)".

Frequently asked questions

How do I use ahorrar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as ahorrar dinero and ahorrar tiempo. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between ahorrar and gastar?

ahorrar means "to save (money)", while gastar means "to spend". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use ahorrar when you mean "to save (money)" and gastar when you mean "to spend".

Which tense do I need most with ahorrar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use ahorrar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is ahorrar formal or informal?

ahorrar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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