Ayudar means 'to help', and it is a regular -ar verb that earns its place in conversation, role-plays and writing about relationships and community. The key structure is ayudar a + infinitive — ayudo a mi madre a cocinar (I help my mum cook) — and you also help a person directly with the personal a: ayudo a mi hermano. The polite request ¿me puedes ayudar? (can you help me?) is everyday gold. Because it is regular and turns up in so many practical situations, from chores at home to helping in the community, ayudar is well worth getting fluent.
Quick facts
Ayudar (to help) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Personal a: ayudo a mi madre (I help my mum).
Ayudar a + infinitive: ayudo a cocinar (I help cook).
¿Me puedes ayudar? (can you help me?).
¿Te ayudo? (shall I help you?).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
ayudar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know ayudar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice ayudar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: ayudo, tú: ayudas, él: ayuda, nosotros: ayudamos, vosotros: ayudáis, ellos: ayudan
The past participle is ayudado (he ayudado) and the gerund is ayudando (estoy ayudando).
Verbs that are easy to confuse with ayudar or that behave like it.
Ayudar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.