reaccionar
/reaɡθjoˈnaɾ/
To react in Spanish is reaccionar.
Reaccionar means to act in response. When you are reacting to a specific stimulus or event, you typically follow the verb with the preposition a (reaccionar a).
Meaning: to act in response (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form (reacting) is reaccionando. In the preterite tense, the first-person singular (I reacted) is reaccioné and the third-person singular (he/she/it reacted) is reaccionó.
How do you pronounce it?
/reaɡθjoˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- When describing a lack of reaction, such as being stunned, Spanish speakers often use the phrase quedarse de piedra, which literally means 'to stay as stone'.
- In medical or emergency contexts, Spanish speakers use reaccionar to describe a patient waking up or regaining consciousness after fainting.
- In Spanish, the word reacción can refer to a chemical reaction or a political counter-revolution. A political 'reactionary' is described as reaccionario.
Examples in context
- Sabía cómo iba a reaccionar.I knew how you'd react.This sentence shows how to use reaccionar to describe knowing a reaction.Tatoeba #3805282 by cueyayotl, translation #2374753 by CK
- Tom no sabía cómo reaccionar.Tom didn't know how to react.This sentence illustrates a lack of knowledge on how to reaccionar.Tatoeba #1477205 by marcelostockle, translation #1094740 by CK
- Tuvimos que reaccionar rápidamente.We had to react quickly.This sentence demonstrates the need to reaccionar with speed.Tatoeba #1928079 by marcelostockle, translation #1629923 by Spamster
- Es importante que reacciones rápidamente a esta situaciónIt's important that you react quickly to this situation.
- No puedo creer cómo reaccionaste ante esa bromaI can't believe how you reacted to that joke.
- Usted debe contestar a ese mensajeYou should respond to that message.
- Ellos reaccionaron de manera sorprendenteThey reacted surprisingly.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing a surprising piece of news.
- MaríaNo sé cómo reaccionar a esta noticia.I don't know how to react to this news.
- MateoYo reaccioné con mucha sorpresa, María.I reacted with a lot of surprise, María.
- María¿Crees que Mateo va a reaccionar mal?Do you think Mateo is going to react badly?
- MateoNo, él siempre sabe cómo reaccionar.No, he always knows how to react.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “react” translations and entries reaccionar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
