Introduction
Intentar means “to try, to attempt”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Intentar is the verb for trying to do something. It is followed by an infinitive, with no preposition. Intentar de nuevo means to try again. It is how you describe a second attempt after a failure. This page shows intentar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
Intentar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how intentar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use intentar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
“¿Tú intentas cocinar?” — Do you try to cook?
“Mi hermano intenta de nuevo.” — My brother tries again.
“Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” — We try to climb the mountain.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show intentar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.” — Yesterday I tried to learn a new word. (preterite)
“El estudiante intentaba aprobar el examen siempre.” — The student always used to try to pass the exam. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of intentar stays the same.
“Nosotros intentaremos escalar la montaña mañana.” — We will try to climb the mountain tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has intentado alguna vez escalar?” — Have you ever tried to climb? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros intentáis hablar en español.” — You try to speak in Spanish.
“Ellos intentan resolver el problema.” — They try to solve the problem.
“Yo intento dormir ocho horas.” — I try to sleep eight hours.
“El estudiante intenta aprobar el examen.” — The student tries to pass the exam.
Intentar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how intentar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú intentas cocinar?” — Do you try to cook?
Pedro: “Sí, yo intento aprender español.” — Yes, I try to learn Spanish.
Marta: “Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” — We try to climb the mountain.
Pedro: “Y ellos intentan resolver el problema.” — And they try to solve the problem.
Marta: “Vosotros intentáis hablar en español.” — You try to speak in Spanish.
Pedro: “Sí, y mi hermano intenta de nuevo.” — Yes, and my brother tries again.
A short paragraph
Marta intenta aprender español, y su hermano intenta de nuevo. Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña, y ellos intentan resolver el problema. Yo intento dormir ocho horas, y el estudiante intenta aprobar el examen. Intentar is part of every challenge, because trying to learn, trying again and trying to solve a problem are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with intentar
These are the errors learners actually make with intentar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo intento a aprender español.” Right: “Yo intento aprender español.” Why: Intentar takes an infinitive directly, with no preposition: intento aprender, not intento a aprender. The a belongs to verbs such as comenzar a and aprender a, not to intentar.
Wrong: “Ellos intenta resolver el problema.” Right: “Ellos intentan resolver el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form intentan. The singular intenta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.
Wrong: “Yo intento aprender ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished attempt yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to intenté.
Wrong: “Nosotros intentas escalar.” Right: “Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” Why: Nosotros needs intentamos. The tú form intentas belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos intento todos los días.” Right: “Ellos intentan todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form intentan, not the yo form intento. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: intentar in use
Ten questions on intentar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ hablar en español.” (You try to speak in Spanish.)
- (a) intentas
- (b) intentáis
- (c) intento
Answer: intentáis — The vosotros/as form of intentar in the present tense is intentáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ resolver el problema.” (They try to solve the problem.)
- (a) intentan
- (b) intento
- (c) intentas
Answer: intentan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of intentar in the present tense is intentan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ aprender una palabra nueva.” (Yesterday I tried to learn a new word.)
- (a) intentaste
- (b) intentó
- (c) intenté
Answer: intenté — In the preterite, the yo form of intentar is intenté.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El estudiante ______ aprobar el examen siempre.” (The student always used to try to pass the exam.)
- (a) intentabas
- (b) intentaba
- (c) intentaba
Answer: intentaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of intentar is intentaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ escalar la montaña mañana.” (We will try to climb the mountain tomorrow.)
- (a) intentaremos
- (b) intentaré
- (c) intentarás
Answer: intentaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of intentar is intentaremos.
6. What does intentar mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to try, to attempt
Answer: to try, to attempt — Intentar means “to try, to attempt”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo intento aprender español.
- (b) Yo intento a aprender español.
- (c) Ellos intenta resolver el problema.
Answer: Yo intento aprender español. — “Yo intento aprender español.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I try to sleep eight hours.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo intentan dormir ocho horas.
- (b) Yo intento dormir ocho horas.
- (c) El estudiante intenta aprobar el examen.
Answer: Yo intento dormir ocho horas. — “Yo intento dormir ocho horas.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of intentar in the present tense?
- (a) intento
- (b) intentas
- (c) intentamos
Answer: intentamos — The nosotros form is intentamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.
- (b) Nosotros intentaremos escalar la montaña mañana.
- (c) Yo intento aprender español.
Answer: Yo intento aprender español. — “Yo intento aprender español.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I try to learn Spanish' in Spanish?
Say 'Intento aprender español'. The infinitive follows directly with no preposition. For a routine: 'Intento aprender español todos los días'.
How do you say 'to try again' in Spanish?
Say 'intentar de nuevo'. In the present: 'Mi hermano intenta de nuevo'. De nuevo is the phrase for again in this context.
Can intentar be used without an infinitive?
Yes, but rarely. 'Lo intento' means 'I try it' or 'I'll try', with the object pronoun lo standing for the whole attempt. Usually the infinitive follows: 'Intento resolver el problema'.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of intentar — every tense of intentar in one place.
- Intentar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on intentar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of intentar until they are automatic.