cultivar plantas
/kultibaɾ plantas/from spelling rules
To grow plants in Spanish is cultivar plantas.
This phrase is used to describe the act of tending to plants by providing them with water and care so that they grow.
Which one should you use?
Use cultivar plantas when referring to the intentional act of cultivation or farming, rather than just the biological process of growth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb cultivar is a regular -ar verb, so the first-person singular present tense is cultivo plantas.
How do you pronounce it?
/kultibaɾ plantas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
In Spanish, the verb crecer is intransitive, meaning you cannot 'grow plants' (cultivar plantas) using crecer plantas. Instead, you would say las plantas crecen (the plants grow).
Did you know?
- The verb cultivar and the English word 'culture' both descend from the Latin colō, which specifically referred to the physical act of tilling or working the earth.
- While in English you can 'grow' both a plant and a business, in Spanish you would use cultivar for the plants but a different verb, like desarrollar, for a business.
- Because crecer is intransitive, saying yo crezco plantas sounds to a native speaker as if you are saying 'I am growing in height plants'.
Examples in context
- Es importante cultivar plantas adecuadas para el clima de tu región.It's important to grow plants suitable for your region's climate.
- Mi abuela tiene un jardín impresionante, sabe cómo hacer crecer las plantas con amor.My grandmother has an impressive garden, she knows how to grow plants with love.
- Quiero empezar a cultivar mis propios vegetales en el patio trasero.I want to start growing my own vegetables in the backyard.
- Me gusta cultivar plantas en mi jardín.I like to grow plants in my garden.
- Ella quiere cultivar plantas medicinales.She wants to grow medicinal plants.
- Es difícil cultivar plantas en este clima.It is difficult to grow plants in this climate.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are visiting a garden center.
- MateoMaría, ¿quieres cultivar plantas en el jardín?María, do you want to grow plants in the garden?
- MaríaSí, me parece una idea excelente, Mateo.Yes, I think that is an excellent idea, Mateo.
- MateoPodemos comprar algunas semillas hoy mismo.We can buy some seeds today.
- María¡Genial! Busquemos los mejores tomates.Great! Let's look for the best tomatoes.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cultivar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
