reservar
/reseɾˈbaɾ/
To reserve in Spanish is reservar.
The verb reservar means to book something in advance. It is commonly used with the noun mesa (table) when making dining reservations.
Meaning: to book in advance (verb)
Which one should you use?
While reservar is used for formal bookings like hotels or flights, the verb apartar is often used colloquially to mean 'to set something aside' or 'to hold' an item for someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word reserva is used both formally and informally.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of reservar is reservado, which is used to form perfect tenses or as an adjective. The noun form of the verb is la reserva.
How do you pronounce it?
/reseɾˈbaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb reservar shares an ancient root with the English word 'servant', as both trace back to the Latin 'servus'.
- The word reservado can describe both a booked flight and a person who is quiet or shy in a social setting.
- While reservar is used for hotels, in some Latin American markets, you might use apartar to 'reserve' a product by paying a small deposit to the vendor.
Examples in context
- Quiero reservar una habitación.I want to reserve a room.This sentence shows how to use reservar to express a desire to reserve a room.Tatoeba #1513002 by marcelostockle, translation #1020024 by CM
- Me gustaría reservar mesa para dos.I'd like to reserve a table for two.This sentence uses reservar to express a desire to reserve a table.Tatoeba #832436 by LugoIlmer, translation #72808 by CK
- ¿Puedo reservar un vuelo a Chicago?Can I reserve a flight to Chicago?This sentence uses reservar to ask about reserving a flight.Tatoeba #1203910 by marcelostockle, translation #53665 by shekitten
- Quisiera reservar una habitación para dos noches, por favor.I would like to reserve a room for two nights, please.
- Es necesario apartar la mesa para la reunión de mañana.It's necessary to reserve the table for tomorrow's meeting.
- Voy a hacer una reserva en el restaurante para nuestra cena de aniversario.I'm going to make a reservation at the restaurant for our anniversary dinner.
- Apártame un sitio en el cine, ¡llego en quince minutos!Reserve me a spot at the cinema, I'll be there in fifteen minutes!
- Guárdame un pedazo de pastel, por favor.Save me a piece of cake, please.
- Vamos a hacer una reserva en el hotel para nuestras vacaciones.We're going to make a reservation at the hotel for our vacation.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are planning a weekend trip.
- MateoMaría, ¿quieres reservar el hotel ahora?María, do you want to book the hotel now?
- MaríaSí, Mateo, voy a reservar uno con piscina.Yes, Mateo, I am going to book one with a pool.
- MateoPerfecto, yo me encargo de reservar el transporte.Perfect, I will take care of booking the transport.
- MaríaGracias, así ya tenemos todo listo.Thanks, that way we have everything ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “reserve” translations and entries reservar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries reservar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
