conservar
verbCEFR B1
What does “conservar” mean in English?
1.to conserve / to preserve
to conserve / to preserve (protect a natural resource or ecosystem from loss or damage) — conservar la biodiversidad, conservar los bosques
2.to preserve / to keep fresh
to preserve / to keep fresh (food storage sense — conservar en la nevera, bien conservado)
Example sentences
Es fundamental conservar los ecosistemas marinos si queremos que las generaciones futuras puedan disfrutar del océano.
It is essential to conserve marine ecosystems if we want future generations to be able to enjoy the ocean.
La reserva natural fue creada para conservar una de las últimas poblaciones de linces ibéricos del mundo.
The nature reserve was created to conserve one of the last populations of Iberian lynxes in the world.
Conservar el agua dulce es tan importante como reducir las emisiones, pero recibe mucha menos atención mediática.
Conserving fresh water is as important as reducing emissions, but it receives far less media attention.
How to use it
Conservar means 'to conserve' or 'to preserve' — to keep something in good condition and prevent it from being lost or damaged. It is a regular -ar verb with two B1 senses: (1) environmental conservation (conservar la biodiversidad, conservar los recursos naturales) and (2) keeping food fresh (conservar en la nevera, bien conservado). Context disambiguates; this atom focuses on the environmental sense.
Common mistake
Conservar and preservar are near-synonyms at B1, but conservar is more frequent in environmental contexts (conservar la naturaleza) while preservar tends to appear in formal or legal texts. Do not confuse the environmental sense with the food sense — the context makes it clear, but students sometimes assume conservar always means 'keep food'. The adjective bien conservado (well-preserved) applies to both buildings and nature.