What does volver mean and when do you use it in Spanish?

Volver means to return / to come back. Used for physical returns (Vuelvo a casa = I'm going home), state returns (Vuelvo a estar enfermo = I'm sick again), and the volver a + infinitive construction (Volví a llamar = I called again).

How does volver conjugate in the present tense?

Vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven. Takes o→ue stem change in yo / tú / él / ellos. Nosotros / vosotros keep the o (no change).

What's the past participle of volver?

Vuelto (irregular). Used in compound tenses: he vuelto, había vuelto, haya vuelto. Same irregular family as resuelto (resolver), devuelto (devolver), envuelto (envolver).

How do I say to do something again in Spanish?

Use volver a + infinitive. Volví a leer (I read again), Vuelve a intentarlo (Try again), No vuelvas a llamar (Don't call again). More idiomatic than otra vez or de nuevo.

How can I get better at conjugating volver?

Volver shows up constantly, returning home, doing things again, returning to states. Exposure to vuelvo / vuelvo a / vuelto in real conversations is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature volver frequently.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Volver Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Volver means to return / to come back. Present takes o→ue stem change (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve). Past participle is the irregular vuelto. Volver a + infinitive = to do something again.

Vuelvo a casa.

I'm going home.

What it is

Volver means to return or to come back. Present takes the o→ue stem change (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven). Past participle is the irregular vuelto (not volvido). Volver a + infinitive = to do something again.

In Vuelvo a casa (I'm going / coming home), vuelvo is the present yo form with the o→ue change. He vuelto a verla (I've seen her again) uses the irregular past participle and the volver a + inf construction.

How to spot it

Present has stem-change vuelv-. Past participle is vuelto. All other tenses regular -er.

Vuelvo en cinco minutos. — I'll be back in five minutes.
Volvimos tarde. — We got back late.
Volví a llamarte. — I called you again.

Volver a + infinitive is the cleanest way to say to do something again. He vuelto a verla = I've seen her again.

Volver Conjugation Quick Reference

Volver at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses

Person	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future	Subjunctive
yo	vuelvo	volví	volvía	volveré	vuelva
tú	vuelves	volviste	volvías	volverás	vuelvas
él/ella/Ud.	vuelve	volvió	volvía	volverá	vuelva
nosotros	volvemos	volvimos	volvíamos	volveremos	volvamos
vosotros	volvéis	volvisteis	volvíais	volveréis	volváis
ellos/Uds.	vuelven	volvieron	volvían	volverán	vuelvan

Common Volver Conjugation Examples in Spanish

Volver covers returning physically, returning to a state, and doing things again:

Returning Physically

Vuelvo a casa.: I'm going home.
Volvió a Madrid.: He returned to Madrid.
Volvemos en agosto.: We're coming back in August.

Volver a + place = return to that place. Default verb for coming back home.

Returning to a State

Vuelvo a estar enfermo.: I'm sick again.
Volvió a ser feliz.: She became happy again.
Vuelven a estar juntos.: They're together again.

Volver a ser / estar = return to being in that state.

Doing Things Again (Volver A + Inf)

Volví a llamarte.: I called you again.
Vuelve a empezar.: Start over again.
No vuelvas a hacer eso.: Don't do that again.

Volver a + infinitive = to do something again. Cleaner than otra vez or de nuevo.

Past Participle (Vuelto)

He vuelto temprano.: I came back early.
Ha vuelto a casa.: She's come home.
Habíamos vuelto antes.: We had returned earlier.

Past participle is the irregular vuelto. Used in he vuelto, había vuelto, haya vuelto.

How to Conjugate Volver Across Tenses

Present, O→Ue Stem Change

Yo / tú / él / ellos take o→ue: vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, vuelven. Nosotros / vosotros keep the o: volvemos, volvéis.

Yo vuelvo, tú vuelves, él vuelve, nosotros volvemos, vosotros volvéis, ellos vuelven.

I return, you return, he returns, we return, you all return, they return.

Same o→ue pattern as poder (puedo), dormir (duermo), encontrar (encuentro), mostrar (muestro).

Preterite, Regular -er

Fully regular -er preterite: volví, volviste, volvió, volvimos, volvisteis, volvieron. No stem change.

Volví anoche. Volvieron a verme.

I came back last night. They came to see me again.

Stem changes disappear in preterite for -er verbs.

Past Participle, Irregular Vuelto

Past participle is vuelto (not volvido). Used in compound tenses: he vuelto, había vuelto, habría vuelto, haya vuelto.

He vuelto a verla. Habían vuelto a casa.

I've seen her again. They had gone back home.

Same irregular pattern as resolver → resuelto, devolver → devuelto, envolver → envuelto.

Subjunctive, Same Stem Change

Present subjunctive keeps the stem change: vuelva, vuelvas, vuelva, volvamos, volváis, vuelvan.

Espero que vuelvas pronto.

I hope you come back soon.

Nosotros / vosotros stay regular in subjunctive too: volvamos, volváis.

Common Mistakes with Volver Conjugation

Incorrect: Yo volvo a casa. — I'm going home. (wrong, present takes o→ue)

Correct: Yo vuelvo a casa. — I'm going home.

Volver takes o→ue in the yo / tú / él / ellos present forms. Vuelvo, not volvo.

Incorrect: He volvido a verla. — I've seen her again. (wrong, past participle is vuelto)

Correct: He vuelto a verla. — I've seen her again.

Volver's past participle is the irregular vuelto (not volvido). Same family: resuelto, devuelto, envuelto.

Incorrect: Llamé otra vez. — I called again. (both work; volver a + inf is more idiomatic)

Correct: Volví a llamar. / Llamé otra vez. — I called again.

Both are correct, but native speakers often use volver a + infinitive instead of otra vez / de nuevo. Learning to use it sounds more fluent.

Volver a + Infinitive, Doing Things Again

The Construction

Volver a + infinitive = to do (something) again. The cleanest, most idiomatic way to express repetition in Spanish.

Volví a leer el libro.: I read the book again.
Vuelve a empezar.: Start over again.
No vuelvas a hacer eso.: Don't do that again.

Often replaces otra vez or de nuevo in everyday speech. He vuelto a verla sounds more native than La he visto otra vez.

Volver a Ser / Estar, Becoming Something Again

Volver a ser X = to become X again. Volver a estar X = to be in state X again.

Volvió a ser feliz.: She became happy again.
Vuelvo a estar enfermo.: I'm sick again.

Cleaner than de nuevo or otra vez for state changes, Spanish prefers this construction.

Volver Conjugation FAQs

What does volver mean and when do you use it in Spanish?: Volver means to return / to come back. Used for physical returns (Vuelvo a casa = I'm going home), state returns (Vuelvo a estar enfermo = I'm sick again), and the volver a + infinitive construction (Volví a llamar = I called again).
How does volver conjugate in the present tense?: Vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven. Takes o→ue stem change in yo / tú / él / ellos. Nosotros / vosotros keep the o (no change).
What's the past participle of volver?: Vuelto (irregular). Used in compound tenses: he vuelto, había vuelto, haya vuelto. Same irregular family as resuelto (resolver), devuelto (devolver), envuelto (envolver).
How do I say to do something again in Spanish?: Use volver a + infinitive. Volví a leer (I read again), Vuelve a intentarlo (Try again), No vuelvas a llamar (Don't call again). More idiomatic than otra vez or de nuevo.
How can I get better at conjugating volver?: Volver shows up constantly, returning home, doing things again, returning to states. Exposure to vuelvo / vuelvo a / vuelto in real conversations is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature volver frequently.