regresar
/reɡɾeˈsaɾ/
To go back in Spanish is regresar.
The phrase is used to express the act of returning to a place where one has been before.
Which one should you use?
While both regresar and volver mean to return, volver is often used more frequently in casual conversation. In contrast, regresar can feel slightly more formal or more specific to the act of returning to a starting point.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word retornar is also commonly used to say 'to go back' in Spain and some Latin American countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are using the present indicative, regreso means 'I go back' and regresas means 'you go back'. For the past tense (preterite), regresé means 'I went back' and regresó means 'he/she/it went back'. If you want to describe a continuous action, the gerund form is regresando, which means 'returning' or 'going back'.
How do you pronounce it?
/reɡɾeˈsaɾ/
Did you know?
- While volver and regresar both mean 'to go back', using volver can also mean 'to become' when paired with an adjective, such as in volver loco, meaning 'to go crazy'.
- The English word 'regress' and the Spanish regresar share the same Latin ancestor, 'regressus'. While the English version usually implies a decline or backward movement in quality, the Spanish version is a standard way to describe returning to a location.
- If you tell a Spanish speaker you want to regresar to a person rather than a place, it can imply a romantic reconciliation or a return to a previous state of a relationship.
Examples in context
- Necesito regresar a Boston.I need to go back to Boston.This sentence is useful for expressing a need to return to a specific location using regresar.Tatoeba #2831736 by marcelostockle, translation #2387635 by CK
- ¿Por qué quieres regresar a Australia?Why do you want to go back to Australia?This sentence is useful for asking a question about the desire to return to a place using regresar.Tatoeba #10054986 by Shishir, translation #7150213 by CK
- Quiero regresar.I want to go back.This sentence is useful for expressing a simple desire to return using regresar.Tatoeba #3883848 by cueyayotl, translation #1887891 by CK
- Regrese a la oficina.Go back to the office.
- Por favor, regrese más tarde.Please come back later.
- Vuelve a casa.Go back home.
- Volveré más tarde.I will come back later.
- Regresa a la fiesta.Go back to the party.
- Voy a regresar a mi casa.I'm going to go back to my house.
- Vuelvo pronto, no te preocupes.I'll be back soon, don't worry
- volver a casaGo back home
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are at a coffee shop, discussing their travel plans.
- Elena¿Cuándo quieres regresar a la playa?When do you want to return to the beach?
- DanielMe gustaría regresar el próximo mes.I would like to go back next month.
- ElenaEs una idea excelente, Daniel.That is an excellent idea, Daniel.
- DanielSí, debemos regresar pronto.Yes, we must return soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry regresar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries regresar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
