Spanish word

pretender

Pronunciation

IPA/pɾetenˈdeɾ/

Meaning

  • verbintend

Example

¿Pretendes ir al cine esta noche?

Do you intend to go to the movies tonight?

Illustration for pretender (intend)

More examples

No pretendo molestar a nadie.

I don't intend to bother anyone.

Core concept

A person marking a goal on a checklist.

Common phrases

  • pretender + infinitivo

    intend to + infinitive

  • pretender a alguien

    court someone

Similar words

pensar: Mentally consider doing an action without taking steps yet.
proponerse: Set a personal goal to do an action and determine to follow through.
intentar: Attempt to do an action by putting effort into it.
decidir: Choose finally whether to perform an action.

Definition in Spanish

Tener la intención de hacer algo; proponerse realizar una acción.

Word origin

Derives from Latin prae 'before' + tendere 'to stretch', conveying the idea of directing oneself toward an action and thus 'intend'.

Usage tips

  • When pretender is followed by a noun with a, as in pretender a un puesto, it means 'aspire to' or 'seek' rather than 'intend to'.

Other meanings

  • aim forverb
  • aim atverb
  • courtverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word