frecuentar
Lemma Details
Translation: to frequent; to visit regularly; to attend regularly; to haunt
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'frequentare' meaning 'to visit often, to do frequently'. The English cognate 'frequent' shares the same Latin root. The word conveys the idea of repetition and regularity in actions or visits. The Latin 'frequens' originally meant 'crowded, repeated, constant' and evolved to describe habitual actions.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Él frecuenta ese café todos los días.
He frequents that café every day.
Solíamos frecuentar el mismo círculo social.
We used to frequent the same social circle.
No frecuento lugares ruidosos.
I don't frequent noisy places.
Los turistas frecuentan este museo en verano.
Tourists regularly visit this museum in summer.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'frequent' in English - if you frequent a place, you 'frecuentar' it in Spanish.
- The 'cuent' in 'frecuentar' can remind you of 'count' - you can count on seeing someone or something repeatedly.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'frecuentar' often carries social connotations about one's habits and the places or people one regularly visits. It can sometimes imply belonging to a certain social circle or having particular lifestyle habits.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'frecuentar' means to visit a place regularly, 'frecuentarse' (reflexive form) means to see each other regularly or to socialize with each other.
Confused word:
Juan y María se frecuentan desde hace años.
Juan and María have been seeing each other regularly for years.
Notes: The reflexive form shifts the focus from places to relationships between people.
Mnemonic: Add 'se' to make it about people seeing each other, not just visiting places.
Explanation: 'Frecuentar' is the verb (to frequent), while 'frecuencia' is the noun (frequency).
Confused word:
La frecuencia de mis visitas ha disminuido.
The frequency of my visits has decreased.
Notes: These words are related but serve different grammatical functions.
Mnemonic: Frecuentar is what you do, frecuencia is how often you do it.