guardar todo
/ɡwaɾdaɾ todo/from spelling rules
To put everything away in Spanish is guardar todo.
This phrase is used to describe the action of returning all items to their proper storage places after they have been used. The verb guardar itself is polysemous. Depending on the context, it can also mean 'to keep' (such as a secret or a promise) or 'to save' (such as money or data).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear Recoge todo, por favor. to mean 'put everything away'. In Mexico, both Guarda todo, por favor. and Acomoda todo, por favor. are used for this purpose.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say 'to put it all away' using a direct object pronoun like 'it' (lo), you can place the pronoun before the conjugated verb or attach it to the end of the infinitive guardar to form guardarlo todo. When giving commands, the form changes based on who you are addressing: use the imperative guárdalo todo to command a single person (tú) and use guárdenlo todo when giving a command to a group of people (ustedes).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡwaɾdaɾ todo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, guardar is used in the phrase guardar silencio to mean 'be quiet'. Here, the idea is not to put something in a drawer, but to 'keep' or 'preserve' the silence.
- The Spanish word guardar is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'guard'. Both terms originate from a root meaning to watch over or protect something.
- While guardar means putting things away, the Spanish word for 'saving' a digital file on a computer is also guardar. In English, we distinguish between 'saving' data and 'putting away' physical objects.
Examples in context
- Vamos a ordenar. Guarda todo, por favor.Let's tidy up. Put everything away, please.
- Tienes que guardar todo antes de salir.You have to put everything away before leaving.
- Voy a guardar todo en la cocina.I am going to put everything away in the kitchen.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are cleaning the living room after a party.
- LucíaMateo, debemos guardar todo ahora.Mateo, we must put everything away now.
- MateoSí, yo guardaré todo en las cajas.Yes, I will put everything away in the boxes.
- Lucía¿Me ayudas a guardar todo en el armario?Will you help me put everything away in the closet?
- MateoClaro, lo haré enseguida.Sure, I will do it right away.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guardar, todo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
