pruebo

Pruebo is the first-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb probar. The verb has several related senses in Spanish, corresponding to the English verbs “to try,” “to taste,” “to test,” and “to prove.” In everyday use, probar describes attempting something, sampling food or drinks, or testing a method, device, or hypothesis. For example: “Pruebo la sopa” means “I taste the soup,” and “Quiero probar una nueva receta” means “I want to try a new recipe.” In a research or quality-control context, one might say “pruebo si funciona” to mean “I test whether it works.” The sense “to prove” can appear in constructions that convey verification or demonstration.

Conjugation and usage notes: In the present indicative, the forms are yo pruebo, tú pruebas, él prueba, nosotros probamos, vosotros probáis, ellos prueban. Probar is a stem-changing verb (o → ue) in the present tense, with the exception of the nosotros and vosotros forms, which keep the regular stem “prob-.” The verb also appears in other tenses and moods, such as probé (pretérito), probaba (imperfect), and probaré (futuro). The reflexive form for trying on clothing is probarse: “me pruebo la chaqueta” (I try on the jacket).

Etymology: probar derives from Latin probāre, meaning to test or prove, and is related to modern Romance languages’ words for “proof” and “probe.”

See also: provar (Spanish infinitive), probarse (to try on oneself), prueba (noun meaning test or proof).