concentrarse [with en]
To concentrate in Spanish is concentrarse [with en].
The verb concentrarse is used to describe focusing one's thought or attention. You can also use the phrase poner atención to mean 'to pay attention', which can express the idea of concentrating in a less formal way.
Meaning: focus one's thought or attention (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is reflexive and requires the preposition en to mean 'to concentrate on' something.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use the preposition a (concentrarse a) or omit the preposition entirely when trying to say 'to concentrate on'. You should always use en to connect the verb to the object of focus.
Did you know?
- In some dialects, the expression ponerse las pilas is used to tell someone to concentrate and start working hard, literally meaning 'to put in your batteries'.
- If a person is being very distracted, a Spaniard might say estás en las nubes, which is a metaphorical way of saying you are 'in the clouds' instead of concentrating.
- The reflexive form concentrarse is essential because, without it, the verb can describe the physical concentration of a substance, like chemicals in a solution.
Examples in context
- María, necesitas concentrarte en tu trabajo.Maria, you need to concentrate on your work.
- Juan, haz hincapié en los aspectos más importantes de tu presentación.Juan, concentrate on the most important aspects of your presentation.
- Niños, pongan atención en lo que su maestra explicará.Children, concentrate on what your teacher is going to explain.
- Jorgito, hazme caso y concéntrate en tus estudios.Jorgito, pay attention to me and concentrate on your studies.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “concentrate” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
