Participar

Participar is a Spanish verb meaning to take part in or be involved in an activity, event, or process. It denotes active involvement, participation, or inclusion within a group or action. The most common construction is participar en [algo] to participate in something; participar de [algo] is found in some dialects to indicate sharing in or partaking of something.

Etymology and meaning: Participar derives from the Latin participare, from particip- “part” and the suffix -are, related to the English participate. In modern Spanish, the term consistently expresses active involvement rather than mere membership.

Conjugation and forms: Participar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugation follows standard patterns. Present indicative: participo, participas, participa, participamos, participáis, participan. Preterite (simple past): participé, participaste, participó, participamos, participasteis, participaron. Subjunctive present: participe, participes, participe, participemos, participéis, participen. Imperative: participa (tú), participe (usted), participemos, participad (vosotros), participen (ustedes). Other tenses and the gerund participando are used less frequently in everyday speech but follow expected forms.

Usage notes: Participar is often interchangeable with tomar parte, though it emphasizes active involvement rather than mere inclusion. It is typically followed by en for activities (participar en una reunión, participar en un proyecto) and can appear with de in certain contexts to express sharing in or benefiting from something (participar de los beneficios). Regional preferences may affect the choice between en and de in some phrases.

See also: Participación (participation), participante (participant), participación ciudadana.