contribuir
verbCEFR B2
What does “contribuir” mean in English?
to contribute to
to contribute to (contribuir a + noun/infinitive — contribute decisively/significantly)
Example sentences
La inversión pública en investigación contribuye decisivamente a mejorar la competitividad de toda la economía nacional.
Public investment in research contributes decisively to improving the competitiveness of the entire national economy.
Todos podemos contribuir a la reducción de los residuos plásticos con pequeños cambios en nuestros hábitos diarios.
We can all contribute to reducing plastic waste with small changes in our daily habits.
El nuevo convenio contribuyó a mejorar las relaciones entre los países firmantes y a estabilizar la región.
The new convention contributed to improving relations between the signatory countries and stabilising the region.
How to use it
Contribuir (a) means 'to contribute to'. The preposition is a: contribuir al desarrollo (contribute to development), contribuir a resolver (contribute to resolving). It is irregular: yo contribuyo, contribuyes, contribuye, etc. (same pattern as construir). Key collocations: contribuir de manera decisiva / significativamente / en gran medida (contribute decisively / significantly / greatly). Contribuir is the preferred formal verb over aportar in policy and academic writing, though both are correct.
Common mistake
Yo contribuyo (not *contribuisco) — same pattern as construir and consumir in the present. Contribuir a + infinitive is the standard structure for saying something contributes to doing something. Don't confuse with aportar (to provide/bring something to a project) — aportar focuses on what is given, while contribuir focuses on the impact/share in a larger outcome. Contribuir al debate (contribute to the debate) ≠ aportar al debate (add something new to the debate).