How to Say Add and Subtract in Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking to expand your Spanish vocabulary and learn how to say “add” and “subtract” in this beautiful language? Whether you’re just starting out or want to enhance your existing knowledge, this guide will provide you with formal and informal ways to express addition and subtraction in Spanish. We will also explore a few regional variations when necessary, along with plenty of tips and examples to help you grasp these concepts. So, let’s dive in and discover the many ways to say “add” and “subtract” in Spanish!

Formal Ways to Say Add in Spanish

If you find yourself in a formal setting or speaking with someone you don’t know well, you might want to use the more polite and formal terms for addition. Here are a few options:

1. Sumar: This is the most common and general term for “to add” in Spanish. For example, “El profesor pidió a sus alumnos que sumaran los números” (The teacher asked his students to add the numbers).
2. Agregar: This verb translates as “to add” and is commonly used in the context of including something extra or adding to an existing group. For instance, “Por favor, agrégale más sal a la sopa” (Please, add more salt to the soup).
3. Añadir: Similar to “agregar,” this verb also means “to add.” It is commonly used when referring to incorporating something new or supplementary. For example, “Decidieron añadir más actividades al programa” (They decided to add more activities to the program).

Informal Ways to Say Add in Spanish

In more casual settings, or when speaking with friends and family, you can use these informal terms to express addition:

1. Echar: This colloquial verb is often used in Spain to mean “to add.” For example, “Mezcla los ingredientes y échale azúcar” (Mix the ingredients and add sugar).
2. Echarle: Derived from “echar,” this verb is commonly used with the pronoun “le” to indicate adding something to a specific object or dish. For instance, “Échale agua al arroz para que se cocine” (Add water to the rice so it can cook).
3. Poner: Although “poner” is typically translated as “to put,” it can also be used informally to mean “to add” in certain contexts. For example, “Pon más leche en la taza” (Add more milk to the cup).

Formal Ways to Say Subtract in Spanish

When expressing subtraction in a formal setting, you can use these formal terms:

1. Restar: This is the most common and general term for “to subtract” in Spanish. For instance, “Para resolver el problema, necesitas restar los dos números” (To solve the problem, you need to subtract the two numbers).
2. Restarle: Derived from “restar,” this verb is often used with the pronoun “le” to indicate subtracting something from a specific object or quantity. For example, “Resta cinco minutos al tiempo que tienes para completar la tarea” (Subtract five minutes from the time you have to complete the task).

Informal Ways to Say Subtract in Spanish

For more casual conversations or when you’re speaking with friends, these informal terms are commonly used:

1. Quitar: This verb is often used colloquially to mean “to subtract” or “to take away.” For example, “Quítale dos caramelos a la bolsa” (Take away two candies from the bag).
2. Restarle: Similar to the formal option, “restarle” can also be used informally to mean “to subtract” from a specific object or quantity. For instance, “Resta diez pesos a la cantidad que me debes” (Subtract ten pesos from the amount you owe me).

Tip: Remember, in Spanish, you can often indicate subtraction by using negative numbers. For example, instead of saying “resta dos metros” (subtract two meters), you can simply say “menos dos metros” (minus two meters).

Examples:

Let’s now apply what we’ve learned with some practical examples:

Formal Examples:

1. Para calcular el área del triángulo, tienes que sumar la base y la altura (To calculate the area of the triangle, you have to add the base and the height).

2. Resta diez años a la fecha actual para obtener su año de nacimiento (Subtract ten years from the current date to get his year of birth).

Informal Examples:

1. Échale más sal a la sopa para que sepa mejor (Add more salt to the soup so it tastes better).

2. Resta cinco minutos al tiempo que tenemos para llegar a la fiesta (Subtract five minutes from the time we have to get to the party).

With these examples, you can see how to use the different verbs and expressions in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal.

Remember, the key to mastering a language is practice. Be sure to use these phrases in real-life conversations, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Native Spanish speakers will appreciate your efforts to communicate in their language.

We hope this guide has helped you understand how to say “add” and “subtract” in Spanish. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)