hablar
/aˈblaɾ/
To speak in Spanish is hablar.
Hablar is a common and versatile verb used to express 'to speak'. It is also the standard verb used for 'to talk'. When you want to say you are speaking with someone, use the preposition con after the verb (hablar con). If you want to say you are speaking about a topic, use the preposition de (hablar de).
Which one should you use?
While hablar covers both 'to speak' and 'to talk', other verbs may be more specific: Comunicarse emphasizes the act of communicating and is common in professional or academic settings, while Expresarse means 'to express oneself' and is used in formal or literary contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
Hablar is a regular -ar verb in the present indicative tense. Its forms include hablo (I speak), hablas (you speak), habla (he/she speaks), hablamos (we speak), habláis (you plural speak) and hablan (they speak). The past participle is hablado, which means 'spoken'.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈblaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb hablar is used in the expression hablar por los codos, which literally translates to 'to speak through the elbows'.
- The word hablar evolved from the Old Spanish fablar. In early Spanish, the sound 'f' often shifted to a silent 'h', which is why the starting letter in hablar is not pronounced today.
- While hablar means 'to speak', the expression hablar en plata means to speak plainly or get straight to the point. It literally translates to 'to speak in silver'.
Examples in context
- Él iba a hablar.He was about to speak.Tatoeba #750467 by Shishir, translation #304850 by CK
- Tom empezó a hablar.Tom began to speak.Tatoeba #1427947 by marcelostockle, translation #2647986 by CK
- No tienes que hablar.You don't have to speak.Tatoeba #3791754 by cueyayotl, translation #2283656 by CK
- ¿Hablas inglés?Do you speak English?
- Me expreso en español con fluidez.I speak fluently in Spanish.
- Vamos a chatear más tarde.Let's chat later.
- ¿Quieres platicar un rato?Do you want to chat for a while?
- Me gusta charlar con mis amigos.I like to chat with my friends.
- 380 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are deciding whether to call a friend.
- Sofía¿Quieres hablar con ella?Do you want to speak with her?
- JavierNo, prefiero no hablar ahora.No, I prefer not to speak now.
- SofíaJavier, es importante hablar.Javier, it is important to speak.
- JavierEstá bien, hablaré con ella luego.Fine, I will speak with her later.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hablar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hablar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
