Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Do in Spanish: Hacer
Hacer · verb · ah-SEHR
Hacer is the Spanish verb for 'to do' or 'to make,' one of the most fundamental and frequently used verbs in the language.
ah-SEHR
¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
What are you going to do this weekend?
Do in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for do, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| hacer | do | ah-SEHR | Default, widely understood |
| realizar | do | formal, to carry out |
How Native Speakers Use Hacer
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Daily plans
Tengo mucho que hacer hoy.
I have a lot to do today.
Expressing a busy schedule.
Question
¿Qué haces para ganarte la vida?
What do you do for a living?
Asking someone about their profession.
Instruction
Haz tu tarea antes de salir a jugar.
Do your homework before going out to play.
A parent giving instructions to their child.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Hacer
Translating do as an auxiliary verb
Incorrect: ¿Haces tú querer ir? (Do you want to go?)
Correct: ¿Quieres ir?
Spanish does not use an auxiliary verb like 'do' to form questions — simply invert the subject or use intonation.
Wrong irregular form in imperative
Incorrect: ¡Hace tu cama!
Correct: ¡Haz tu cama!
The informal imperative (tú) of hacer is haz, not hace — hacer is highly irregular and must be memorized.
Lock in Do Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Hacer used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using hacer in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Do in Spanish
- How do you say 'do' in Spanish?
- The primary translation is hacer, which covers both 'to do' and 'to make' in most contexts.
- Does Spanish have an equivalent of the English auxiliary 'do'?
- Spanish does not use an auxiliary verb to form questions or negatives — where English says 'Do you speak Spanish?', Spanish simply says ¿Hablas español? without any auxiliary.
- What are common irregular forms of hacer?
- Key irregular forms include hago (I do), hice (I did), haré (I will do), and haz (do! — informal command), making it one of the most irregular verbs in Spanish.