preservar

Catalan

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin praeservāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [pɾə.zərˈba]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [pɾə.zərˈva]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [pɾe.zeɾˈvaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [pɾe.zerˈba]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Verb

preservar (first-person singular present preservo, first-person singular preterite preserví, past participle preservat); root stress: (Northern) /e̞/; (Balearic, Central, Northwestern, Valencia) /e/

1. to preserve

Conjugation

    Central Catalan conjugation of preservar (first conjugation)

infinitive			preservar
gerund			preservant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		preservat		preservada
		plural		preservats		preservades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	preservo	preserves	preserva	preservem	preserveu	preserven
	imperfect	preservava	preservaves	preservava	preservàvem	preservàveu	preservaven
	future	preservaré	preservaràs	preservarà	preservarem	preservareu	preservaran
	preterite	preserví	preservares	preservà	preservàrem	preservàreu	preservaren
	conditional	preservaria	preservaries	preservaria	preservaríem	preservaríeu	preservarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	preservi	preservis	preservi	preservem	preserveu	preservin
	imperfect	preservés	preservessis	preservés	preservéssim	preservéssiu	preservessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	preserva	preservi	preservem	preserveu	preservin
	negative (no)	—	no preservis	no preservi	no preservem	no preserveu	no preservin

Related terms

• preservació
• preservatiu

Further reading

• “preservar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “preservar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “preservar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “preservar”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Galician

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Latin prae

Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.?

Proto-Italic *serwos

Latin servus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin servō

Latin praeservāre

Galician preservar

From Latin praeservāre.

Verb

preservar (first-person singular present preservo, first-person singular preterite preservei, past participle preservado)

1. (transitive) to preserve

Conjugation

    Conjugation of preservar

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	preservar
Personal	preservar	preservares	preservar	preservarmos	preservardes	preservaren
Gerund
	preservando
Past participle
Masculine	preservado			preservados
Feminine	preservada			preservadas
Indicative
Present	preservo	preservas	preserva	preservamos	preservades	preservan
Imperfect	preservaba	preservabas	preservaba	preservabamos	preservabades	preservaban
Preterite	preservei	preservaches	preservou	preservamos	preservastes	preservaron
Pluperfect	preservara	preservaras	preservara	preservaramos	preservarades	preservaran
Future	preservarei	preservarás	preservará	preservaremos	preservaredes	preservarán
Conditional	preservaría	preservarías	preservaría	preservariamos	preservariades	preservarían
Subjunctive
Present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservemos	preservedes	preserven
Imperfect	preservase	preservases	preservase	preservásemos	preservásedes	preservasen
Future	preservar	preservares	preservar	preservarmos	preservardes	preservaren
Imperative
Affirmative		preserva	preserve	preservemos	preservade	preserven
Negative (non)		non preserves	non preserve	non preservemos	non preservedes	non preserven

Related terms

• preservación
• preservativo

Further reading

• “preservar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin praeservāre.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Verb

preservar

1. to preserve

Conjugation

    Lengadocian (Central Occitan)

		simple			compound
infinitive		preservar			aver preservat
gerund		preservant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		preservat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	preservi	preservas	preserva	preservam	preservatz	preservan
	imperfect	preservavi	preservavas	preservava	preservàvem	preservàvetz	preservavan
	preterite	preservèri	preservères	preservèt	preservèrem	preservèretz	preservèron
	future	preservarai	preservaràs	preservarà	preservarem	preservaretz	preservaràn
	conditional	preservariái	preservariás	preservariá	preservariam	preservariatz	preservarián
	conditional 2nd form1	preservèra	preservèras	preservèra	preserveram	preserveratz	preservèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservem	preservetz	preserven
	imperfect	preservèssi	preservèsses	preservèsse	preservèssem	preservèssetz	preservèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			preserva		preservem	preservatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Auvernhàs

		simple			compound
infinitive		preservar			aver preservat
gerund		preservant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		preservat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserva	preservam	preservatz	preservon
	imperfect	preservave	preservaves	preservava	preservaviam	preservaviatz	preservavon
	preterite	preservere	preserveres	preservet	preservem	preservetz	preserveron
	future	preservarai	preservaràs	preservará	preservarem	preservaretz	preservarán
	conditional	preservariá	preservariás	preservariá	preservariam	preservariatz	preservarián
	conditional 2nd form1	preservèra	preservèras	preservèra	preserveram	preserveratz	preservèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservassiam	preservassiatz	preservon
	imperfect	preservesse	preservesses	preservesse	preservessiam	preservessiatz	preservesson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			preserva		preservassiam	preservatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Gascon

		simple			compound
infinitive		preservar			aver preservat
gerund		preservant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		preservat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	preservi	preservas	preserva	preservam	preservatz	preservan
	imperfect	preservavi	preservavas	preservava	preservàvam	preservàvatz	preservavan
	preterite	preservèi	preservès	preservè	preservèm	preservètz	preservèn
	future	preservarèi	preservaràs	preservarà	preservaram	preservaratz	preservaràn
	conditional	preservarí	preservarés	preservaré	preservarem	preservaretz	preservarén
	conditional 2nd form1	preservèra	preservèras	preservèra	preserveram	preserveratz	preservèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	preservi	preserves	preserve	preservem	preservetz	preserven
	imperfect	preservèssi	preservèsses	preservèsse	preservèssem	preservèssetz	preservèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			preserva		preservem	preservatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Lemosin

		simple			compound
infinitive		preservar			aver preservat
gerund		preservant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		preservat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	preserve	preservas	preserva	preservam	preservatz	preservan
	imperfect	preservava	preservavas	preservava	preservàvam	preservàvatz	preservavan
	preterite	preservei	preserveras	preservet	preservèram	preservèratz	preserveran
	future	preservarai	preservaràs	preservará	preservarem	preservaretz	preservarán
	conditional	preservariá	preservariàs	preservariá	preservariam	preservariatz	preservarián
	conditional 2nd form1	preservèra	preservèras	preservèra	preserveram	preserveratz	preservèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservem	preservetz	preserven
	imperfect	preservèsse	preservèsses	preservèsse	preservèssem	preservèssetz	preservèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			preserva		preservem	preservatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Provençau

		simple			compound
infinitive		preservar			aver preservat
gerund		preservant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		preservat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserva	preservam	preservatz	preservan
	imperfect	preservavi	preservavas	preservava	preservàvem	preservàvetz	preservavan
	preterite	preservère	preservères	preservèt	preserveriam	preserveriatz	preservèron
	future	preservarai	preservaràs	preservarà	preservarem	preservaretz	preservaràn
	conditional	preservariáu	preservariás	preservariá	preservariam	preservariatz	preservarián
	conditional 2nd form1	preservèra	preservèras	preservèra	preserveram	preserveratz	preservèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservem	preservetz	preservan
	imperfect	preservèsse	preservèsses	preservèsse	preservessiam	preservessiatz	preservèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			preserva		preservem	preservatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

Related terms

• preservacion

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Latin prae

Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.?

Proto-Italic *serwos

Latin servus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin servō

Latin praeservāre

Portuguese preservar

From Latin praeservāre.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾe.zeʁˈva(ʁ)/ [pɾe.zeɦˈva(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾe.zeʁˈva(ʁ)/ [pɾe.zeɦˈva(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /pɾe.zeɾˈva(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /pɾe.zeʁˈva(ʁ)/ [pɾe.zeʁˈva(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /pɾe.zeɻˈva(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨ.zɨɾˈvaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨ.zɨɾˈvaɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨ.zɨɾˈbaɾ/ [pɾɨ.zɨɾˈβaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾɨ.zɨɾˈva.ɾi/

Verb

preservar (first-person singular present preservo, first-person singular preterite preservei, past participle preservado)

1. to preserve

Conjugation

    Conjugation of preservar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	preservar
Personal	preservar	preservares	preservar	preservarmos	preservardes	preservarem
Gerund
	preservando
Past participle
Masculine	preservado			preservados
Feminine	preservada			preservadas
Indicative
Present	preservo	preservas	preserva	preservamos	preservais	preservam
Imperfect	preservava	preservavas	preservava	preservávamos	preserváveis	preservavam
Preterite	preservei	preservaste	preservou	preservamos1, preservámos2	preservastes	preservaram
Pluperfect	preservara	preservaras	preservara	preserváramos	preserváreis	preservaram
Future	preservarei	preservarás	preservará	preservaremos	preservareis	preservarão
Conditional	preservaria	preservarias	preservaria	preservaríamos	preservaríeis	preservariam
Subjunctive
Present	preserve	preserves	preserve	preservemos	preserveis	preservem
Imperfect	preservasse	preservasses	preservasse	preservássemos	preservásseis	preservassem
Future	preservar	preservares	preservar	preservarmos	preservardes	preservarem
Imperative
Affirmative		preserva	preserve	preservemos	preservai	preservem
Negative (não)		não preserves	não preserve	não preservemos	não preserveis	não preservem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• preservação
• preservativo

Further reading

• “preservar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “preservar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Latin prae

Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.?

Proto-Italic *serwos

Latin servus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin servō

Latin praeservāre

Spanish preservar

From Latin praeservāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeseɾˈbaɾ/ [pɾe.seɾˈβ̞aɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: pre‧ser‧var

Verb

preservar (first-person singular present preservo, first-person singular preterite preservé, past participle preservado)

1. (transitive) to preserve
2. (pronominal) to be preserved

Conjugation

    Conjugation of preservar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			preservar
gerund			preservando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		preservado		preservada
		plural		preservados		preservadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	preservo	preservastú preservásvos	preserva	preservamos	preserváis	preservan
	imperfect	preservaba	preservabas	preservaba	preservábamos	preservabais	preservaban
	preterite	preservé	preservaste	preservó	preservamos	preservasteis	preservaron
	future	preservaré	preservarás	preservará	preservaremos	preservaréis	preservarán
	conditional	preservaría	preservarías	preservaría	preservaríamos	preservaríais	preservarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	preserve	preservestú preservésvos2	preserve	preservemos	preservéis	preserven
	imperfect (ra)	preservara	preservaras	preservara	preserváramos	preservarais	preservaran
	imperfect (se)	preservase	preservases	preservase	preservásemos	preservaseis	preservasen
	future1	preservare	preservares	preservare	preserváremos	preservareis	preservaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		preservatú preservávos	preserve	preservemos	preservad	preserven
	negative		no preserves	no preserve	no preservemos	no preservéis	no preserven

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of preservar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive preservar	dative	preservarme	preservarte	preservarle, preservarse	preservarnos	preservaros	preservarles, preservarse
	accusative	preservarme	preservarte	preservarlo, preservarla, preservarse	preservarnos	preservaros	preservarlos, preservarlas, preservarse
with gerund preservando	dative	preservándome	preservándote	preservándole, preservándose	preservándonos	preservándoos	preservándoles, preservándose
	accusative	preservándome	preservándote	preservándolo, preservándola, preservándose	preservándonos	preservándoos	preservándolos, preservándolas, preservándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative preserva	dative	presérvame	presérvate	presérvale	presérvanos	not used	presérvales
	accusative	presérvame	presérvate	presérvalo, presérvala	presérvanos	not used	presérvalos, presérvalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative preservá	dative	preservame	preservate	preservale	preservanos	not used	preservales
	accusative	preservame	preservate	preservalo, preservala	preservanos	not used	preservalos, preservalas
with formal second-person singular imperative preserve	dative	presérveme	not used	presérvele, presérvese	presérvenos	not used	presérveles
	accusative	presérveme	not used	presérvelo, presérvela, presérvese	presérvenos	not used	presérvelos, presérvelas
with first-person plural imperative preservemos	dative	not used	preservémoste	preservémosle	preservémonos	preservémoos	preservémosles
	accusative	not used	preservémoste	preservémoslo, preservémosla	preservémonos	preservémoos	preservémoslos, preservémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative preservad	dative	preservadme	not used	preservadle	preservadnos	preservaos	preservadles
	accusative	preservadme	not used	preservadlo, preservadla	preservadnos	preservaos	preservadlos, preservadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative preserven	dative	presérvenme	not used	presérvenle	presérvennos	not used	presérvenles, presérvense
	accusative	presérvenme	not used	presérvenlo, presérvenla	presérvennos	not used	presérvenlos, presérvenlas, presérvense

Related terms

• preservación
• preservativo

Further reading

• “preservar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025