How to Say ‘Again’ in Spanish Using the Verb ‘Volver’
Have you ever wondered how to say “again” in Spanish? It may seem like an insignificant word, but when you think about it, it conveys an idea that we use a lot in our everyday life.
There are different ways to say “again” in Spanish, and today we’ll see the most common ones—and especially using the Spanish verb volver. We’ll explore the qualities of this word as an irregular stem-changing verb, and most importantly, we’ll examine the formula needed to use this verb in expressing the idea of “again” in Spanish.
By the end of this post, you will
- know how to say “again” in Spanish in three different ways
- know more about irregular verbs
- understand much better why the Spanish verb volver behaves the way it does
¿Listo?
Different Ways to Say “Again” in Spanish
There are different ways to say “again” in Spanish, and although we’ll be focusing in one of them throughout this post, let’s take a quick look at the others:
Otra Vez
The literal translation of otra vez is “another time,” however you can use it as an adverb in complete sentences to convey the meaning of “again” in Spanish.
Traje el libro equivocado otra vez.
I brought the wrong book again.
Mi hermano metió un gol otra vez.
My brother scored a goal again.
Reprobé el examen otra vez.
I failed the test again.
De Nuevo
Another common way to say “again” in Spanish is using de nuevo. Literally meaning “of new” or “anew,” de nuevo is a bit more formal than otra vez.
Se me olvidó hacer la tarea de nuevo.
I forgot to do the homework again.
Llegas tarde de nuevo.
You’re late again.
De nuevo olvidaste mi cumpleaños.
You forgot my birthday again.
Volver a
The third way to say “again” in Spanish involves the verb volver. We’ll analyze this verb in detail in a moment, but for now let’s just add a famous example from the song “Por Volverte a Ver” by Dyango:
Hoy daría cualquier cosa por volverte a ver.
Today, I would give anything to see you again.
The Irregular Verb Volver
Before using volver as a way of saying “again” in Spanish, let’s examine this verb more closely.
Meaning(s) of the Verb Volver
The Spanish verb volver means “to return,” or “to go back.” This meaning may or may not be followed by the preposition a (to).
Vuelve a casa temprano.
Come back home early.
Volvieron muy contentos del cine.
You came back so happy from the movies.
However, when volver is followed by the preposition a (to) and a verb in its infinitive form, it means “again” in Spanish.
Volvimos a perder.
We lost again.
Volvemos a encontrarnos.
We meet again.
Keep this formula in mind, as we’ll come back to it later.
Volver: An Irregular Stem-Changing Verb
Besides being the title of one of the most famous Spanish movies of all time, volver is also an irregular stem-changing verb. When conjugated, most times the –o from its stem changes to -ue when stressed.
Let’s see this in the present of indicative:
- Yo vuelvo
- Tú vuelves
- Él/ella vuelve
- Nosotros volvemos
- Ustedes vuelven
- Ellos/ellas vuelven
Volver: An Irregular Past Participle Verb
Finally, volver also has an irregular past participle. Past participles are useful non-conjugated forms of verbs that can be used as adjectives or with other verbs.
The past participle of volver is vuelto, as you can see in all its compound tenses conjugations.
Let’s see how it works in the present perfect:
- Yo he vuelto
- Tú has vuelto
- Él/ella ha vuelto
- Nosotros hemos vuelto
- Ustedes han vuelto
- Ellos/ellas han vuelto
Using the Verb Volver to Say “Again” in Spanish
As said before, one of the meanings of volver is “again” in Spanish. Let’s focus now on this meaning and how you can use volver in this way.
Volver + a + Infinitive
We mentioned before that when volver is followed by the preposition a (to) and a verb in infinitive it conveys the same meaning as “again” in Spanish. Let’s put this into an easy-ro-remember formula:
volver + a + infinitive = again in Spanish
Remember that Spanish verbs in infinitive always have one of the following endings: -ar, -er, ir.
volver a cantar = to sign again
volver a venir = to come again
volver a correr = to run again
Knowing this, you can use this formula to say again in Spanish in every imaginable circumstance:
Ayer volví a leer “El Principito.”
Yesterday, I read “The Little Prince” again.
¿Mañana volverás a venir?
Will you come again tomorrow?
Carlos volvió a perder sus anteojos.
Carlos lost his glasses again.
El Real Madrid volvió a ganar la Champions League.
Real Madrid won the Champions League again.
Ayer tuve que volver a ir al hospital.
Yesterday, I had to go to the hospital again.
Now, let’s take a look at how you can express these same sentences with any of the other ways to say “again” in Spanish:
Ayer leí “El Principito” otra vez.
Yesterday, I read “The Little Prince” again.
¿Vendrás mañana de nuevo?
Will you come tomorrow again?
Carlos perdió sus anteojos otra vez.
Carlos lost his glasses again.
El Real Madrid ganó la Champions League de nuevo.
Real Madrid won the Champions League again.
Ayer tuve que ir al hospital otra vez.
Yesterday, I had to go to the hospital again.
As you can see, the translations in English don’t change at all, because the idea expressed in Spanish is exactly the same, even when I used different ways to say “again” in Spanish. This means that you can express the same idea in any of these three ways, and it would make no difference at all.
Es Hora de Volver a Hablar Español
“It’s time to speak Spanish again.” Now you’re an expert in saying “again” in Spanish in different ways, and specifically using the useful verb volver. In your quest to speak Spanish regularly, you’ll want to sign up for a free trial class with one of our certified Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala where tú vuelves a hablar español today!
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