Traer
Learn how to use traer in Spanish, including its meaning, common examples, and important irregular forms such as traigo and traje.
Traer
Main meaning
Traer usually means to bring someone or something towards the relevant reference point.
- ¿Puedes traer pan?
Can you bring some bread? - Te traigo un café.
I’ll bring you a coffee. - Trajo a su amigo a la fiesta.
He or she brought their friend to the party.
The reference point depends on the conversation, not only on the speaker’s physical location. Read Traer vs Llevar for the full difference between the two verbs.
Important irregular forms
Present tense
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | traigo |
| tú | traes |
| él / ella / usted | trae |
| nosotros/as | traemos |
| vosotros/as | traéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | traen |
The yo form is irregular: yo traigo.
Preterite
The most important preterite stem is traj-:
- traje
- trajiste
- trajo
- trajimos
- trajisteis
- trajeron
Subjunctive
The present subjunctive uses the stem traig-:
Quiero que traigas tu pasaporte.
I want you to bring your passport.
These forms are worth noticing, but you do not need to memorize every tense at once.
Another common use
Traer can also mean that something causes or brings about a result:
Esto puede traer problemas.
This can cause or bring problems.