ahorrar
verbCEFR B1
What does “ahorrar” mean in English?
1.to save
to save (money, energy, or resources — ahorrar energía, ahorrar agua, ahorrar dinero)
2.to save
to save (money); to put money aside; also ahorrar en = to save on (reduce costs)
Example sentences
Para ahorrar con mayor eficacia, el asesor financiero me recomendó que domiciliara un porcentaje fijo de la nómina en una cuenta separada.
To save more effectively, the financial advisor recommended that I set up a direct payment of a fixed percentage of my salary into a separate account.
Llevamos dos años ahorrando para la entrada de la hipoteca, pero los precios han subido tanto que ya no nos llega.
We have been saving for the mortgage deposit for two years, but prices have risen so much that we can no longer afford it.
Si quiere ahorrar en comisiones bancarias, le sugiero que compare las cuentas que no cobran cuota de mantenimiento.
If you want to save on banking fees, I suggest you compare accounts that do not charge a maintenance fee.
How to use it
Ahorrar means 'to save (money)' and is a core B1 personal finance verb. It is transitive (ahorrar dinero) or intransitive (estoy ahorrando para comprar un piso). The noun pair is el ahorro (savings, act of saving) and los ahorros (one's savings as a sum). A common formal register collocate is domiciliar un porcentaje de la nómina — have a percentage of salary paid directly into savings. Do not use ahorrar for 'to save a file' (guardar) or 'to save a person' (salvar/rescatar).
Common mistake
Ahorrar en (+ cost item) = to save on (something): 'ahorrar en comisiones' = to save on fees. This is not the same as ahorrar dinero. English learners sometimes use guardar for saving money — guardar means to keep/store, not to set money aside.