contestar
verbCEFR A1
What does “contestar” mean in English?
to answer
to answer (a question, message, or phone call)
Example sentences
El alumno contesta la pregunta.
The student answers the question.
No contesto el teléfono.
I don't answer the phone.
¿Contestas el mensaje?
Are you answering the message?
How to use it
Contestar is a regular -ar verb meaning 'to answer'. Use it for answering questions, messages, and phone calls. In Latin American Spanish, contestar takes a direct object without a preposition: contestar la pregunta. In Peninsular Spanish, contestar a la pregunta is equally common. At A1, use the direct-object form as your default — it works everywhere.
Common mistake
English speakers say 'answer to a question', but Spanish drops the preposition in Latin American use — say 'contestar la pregunta'. In Spain, 'contestar a la pregunta' is equally standard. Either form is acceptable; the direct-object form is the safer cross-dialect default at A1.