restaurar
/restauˈɾaɾ/
The English verb restore is translated into Spanish as restaurar.
Restaurar is a neutral term meaning to bring something back to a previous condition or state. Other verbs may be more specific depending on the context: reparar suggests repairing something to its original condition, while rehabilitar is used for the restoration or rehabilitation of buildings or infrastructure. If you are talking about recovering or restoring something that was lost or stolen, the formal option recuperar is appropriate.
Meaning: to bring back to a previous condition or state (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the verb reponer can be used as a synonym for restaurar.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular preterite (past tense) form is restauré (I restored), and the third-person singular future tense form is restaurará (he/she/it will restore). The noun form for restoration is restauración.
How do you pronounce it?
/restauˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- While restaurar means to restore, the word restaurante is derived from the same root and literally means a place that serves a 'restorative' broth to recover one's strength.
- In a legal or political context, restaurar can refer to the 'restoration' of a monarchy, a concept often discussed in Spanish history as la restauración.
- If you 'restore' a sense of order, you might use restablecer, which feels more natural for abstract concepts than the physical-sounding restaurar.
Examples in context
- Tenemos que restaurar los cuadros viejos del museo.We need to restore the old paintings in the museum.
- Necesito recuperar mis archivos perdidos del ordenador.I need to restore my lost files from the computer.
- Quieren rehabilitar el barrio histórico.They want to restore the historic neighborhood.
- Necesito arreglar mi bicicleta vieja.I need to restore my old bicycle.
- Es hora de reparar el juguete roto.It's time to restore the broken toy.
- Quieren restaurar el antiguo templo a su gloria original.They want to restore the ancient temple to its original glory.
- Quiero recuperar mi equilibrio físico y emocional.I want to restore my physical and emotional balance.
- El gobierno planea rehabilitar el barrio deteriorado.The government plans to restore the run-down neighborhood.
- Quiero restaurar este mueble antiguo.I want to restore this antique piece of furniture.
- El experto va a restaurar la pintura.The expert is going to restore the painting.
- Es difícil restaurar la paz en la región.It is difficult to restore peace in the region.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are looking at an old, damaged clock in a shop.
- Javier¿Crees que podemos restaurar este reloj?Do you think we can restore this clock?
- ElenaSí, pero requiere mucho trabajo de restauración.Yes, but it requires a lot of restoration work.
- JavierMe gustaría restaurar su estado original.I would like to restore its original state.
- ElenaSería un proyecto muy bonito para ti, Javier.It would be a very beautiful project for you, Javier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “restore” translations and entries restaurar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
