reparar
verbCEFR B1
What does “reparar” mean in English?
1.to repair, to fix
to repair, to fix (a broken appliance, structure, or system)
2.to repair, to fix
to repair, to fix (a broken appliance, structure, or system)
Example sentences
El fontanero tardó tres días en venir a reparar la tubería y mientras tanto tuvimos que usar el baño del vecino.
The plumber took three days to come and fix the pipe and in the meantime we had to use the neighbour's bathroom.
Según el contrato, el propietario está obligado a reparar cualquier avería estructural en un plazo máximo de treinta días.
According to the contract, the landlord is obliged to repair any structural breakdown within a maximum of thirty days.
Intentamos reparar la persiana nosotros mismos pero era más complicado de lo que parecía y al final tuvimos que llamar a un técnico.
We tried to repair the blind ourselves but it was more complicated than it looked and in the end we had to call a technician.
How to use it
Reparar means 'to repair' or 'to fix' — it is transitive and takes a direct object (reparar la caldera, reparar la tubería). At B1 it is standard in housing contexts for professional repairs carried out by a technician or tradesperson. The colloquial equivalent arreglar is more frequent in spoken Spanish; reparar has a slightly more formal register. Common collocations: reparar una avería (to fix a breakdown), llamar a alguien para reparar (to call someone to fix).
Common mistake
Reparar and arreglar both mean 'to fix'. Arreglar is the everyday spoken form; reparar sounds slightly more formal or technical. Both are correct at B1 but reparar sits better in written contexts (contract, report) while arreglar is more natural in spoken conversation. Don't use reparar for 'to mend (clothes)' — that is coser or remendar.