intente

Intente is a form of the Spanish verb intentar, meaning to try or to attempt. Specifically, intente is the present subjunctive form that can correspond to first person singular (yo) or third person singular (él, ella, usted). The present indicative form is intento, not intente, so intente is used in subjunctive contexts rather than as a direct statement of fact.

In the present subjunctive, the full paradigm for intentar is: yo intente, tú intentes, él/ella/Ud. intente, nosotros intentemos, vosotros intentéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. intenten. The form intente therefore appears in clauses requiring the subjunctive mood, often after expressions of doubt, desire, necessity, emotion, or uncertainty, or in clauses introduced by que or para que.

Usage tends to be in dependent clauses, as in: Es posible que yo intente resolver el problema; Espero que él intente una solución; No está seguro si ella intente participar. In negative or interrogative contexts, it also appears: ¿Qué tal si intentes otra estrategia? Dijo que yo intente más. While intente is rarely used as a standalone statement, it is a common grammatical tool in written and spoken Spanish for expressing hypothetical or non-factual actions.

Etymology: intente derives from intentar, which comes from Latin intendere or related forms through the development of the Romance languages, with the subjunctive mood preserving the sense of intention or aim in a hypothetical or desired action.