Usar means 'to use', a regular -ar verb that is especially useful in the age of technology (uso el móvil, uso internet para…). Its forms are entirely predictable. Usar is ideal for the technology and daily-life topics at GCSE, where you often need to explain what you use something for (uso el ordenador para hacer mis deberes). A close synonym, utilizar, means the same thing and adds variety to your writing.
Quick facts
Usar (to use) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Uso el móvil (I use my phone).
Usar para: uso internet para estudiar.
¿Qué talla usas? (what size do you take?).
Utilizar means the same and adds variety.
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
usar 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 usar, 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 usar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: uso, tú: usas, él: usa, nosotros: usamos, vosotros: usáis, ellos: usan
The past participle is usado (he usado) and the gerund is usando (estoy usando).
Usar 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.