trae
/tɾae/from spelling rules
trae is a Spanish word meaning he or she brings.
trae is a conjugated form of the infinitive traer, which means to bring. Depending on the context, it can function as the third-person singular present indicative (he or she brings) or as an informal singular imperative (a command meaning "bring").
Which one should you use?
While trae can be used as an informal command, other forms exist for different levels of politeness and grammatical focus. For example, Tráeme is the informal imperative for "bring me" and Tráete is the reflexive informal imperative form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word trae stems from the infinitive traer. In the present indicative, the first-person singular is traigo (I bring) and the third-person plural is traen (they bring or you all bring).
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾae/
Did you know?
- The word trae can be used in the idiom traer cola, which literally means 'to bring a tail'. It describes a situation or a conflict that is likely to drag on and cause further trouble.
- Spanish uses traer to express a state of mind or mood, such as trae mala leche, which implies someone is 'bringing' a bad mood or ill intent.
- In Spanish, you cannot use traer to describe someone bringing something to a third party. If you are not at the destination, you must use llevar ('to take'), whereas English often uses 'bring' for both directions.
Examples in context
- Por favor, tráigame un vaso de aguaPlease bring me a glass of water
- Podría traerme la cuenta, por favorCould you bring me the bill, please?
- ¿Me trae una servilleta, por favor?Could you bring me a napkin, please?
- Tráeme un café, por favorBring me a coffee, please
- ¿Me traes una cerveza?Can you bring me a beer?
- Tráete tu libroBring your book
- Él siempre trae flores.He always brings flowers.
- El camarero trae la comida caliente.The waiter brings the hot food.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a friend who is coming over.
- Daniel¿Viene Juan a la fiesta?Is Juan coming to the party?
- MaríaSí, él trae las bebidas.Yes, he is bringing the drinks.
- Daniel¡Qué bueno! Yo traigo el postre.Great! I'll bring the dessert.
- MaríaPerfecto, Daniel, nos vemos luego.Perfect, Daniel, see you later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
