transformar
verbCEFR B2
What does “transformar” mean in English?
to transform — to change something fundamentally in nature or structure; more radical than cambiar
to transform — to change something fundamentally in nature or structure; more radical than cambiar (transformar la sociedad, transformarse en)
Example sentences
La pandemia ha transformado de manera irreversible la forma en que concebimos el trabajo, el espacio y el tiempo.
The pandemic has irreversibly transformed the way we think about work, space, and time.
Transformar un sistema educativo obsoleto no es tarea de un solo gobierno ni de una sola legislatura.
Transforming an outdated education system is not the task of a single government or a single term in office.
En pocas décadas, la ciudad se ha transformado en uno de los centros tecnológicos más dinámicos del continente.
In a few decades, the city has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic technology hubs on the continent.
How to use it
Transformar means 'to transform' — to change something fundamentally in nature, form, or function. It implies deep structural change, not surface adjustment. Common collocations: transformar la sociedad/el sistema/la realidad; una transformación profunda/radical. The reflexive form transformarse is equally common: el barrio se ha transformado = the neighbourhood has been transformed. Contrast with cambiar (general change, any level), modificar (tweak, adjust), and reformar (reform, institutional change). Transformar signals the most radical change of the set.
Common mistake
Don't use transformar for minor adjustments — that is cambiar or modificar. 'I changed my plans' = 'Cambié mis planes' (not *transformé). Transformar always implies fundamental restructuring. The noun la transformación is a near-false friend with English 'transformation' — they align well. However, note that transformar takes a direct object (what is transformed) while cambiarse takes a reflexive (I changed myself/my clothes).