How To Say Hurry In Spanish

How to Say Hurry in Spanish: A Complete Guide to Expressing Urgency

When you need to convey a sense of speed or urgency in conversation, knowing the right words makes all the difference. This guide explores how to say hurry in Spanish, covering the most common translations, subtle nuances, regional variations, and practical examples that will help you sound natural in any situation. Whether you’re a beginner building vocabulary or an advanced learner polishing fluency, the information below will give you confidence to talk about haste, rush, and quick action in Spanish Small thing, real impact..

Common Translations for “Hurry”

The English verb to hurry can be rendered in Spanish through several verbs, nouns, and adverbs, depending on the grammatical role you need. Below are the primary options you’ll encounter:

• apresurarse (verb) – to hurry oneself, to rush
  Me estoy apresurando para llegar a tiempo. (I’m hurrying to be on time.)
• tener prisa (phrase) – to be in a hurry
  Tengo prisa porque tengo una reunión. (I’m in a hurry because I have a meeting.)
• ir con prisa (phrase) – to go in a hurry
  Voy con prisa a la estación. (I’m going in a hurry to the station.)
• dar prisa (verb phrase) – to hurry someone, to make someone rush
  No me des prisa, estoy pensando. (Don’t hurry me, I’m thinking.)
• rápidamente (adverb) – quickly, swiftly
  Corrió rápidamente hacia la salida. (He ran quickly toward the exit.)
• de prisa (adverbial phrase) – hastily, in a rush
  Salió de prisa sin despedirse. (He left hastily without saying goodbye.)

Each of these forms fits different contexts. Choosing the right one depends on whether you’re describing your own state, urging someone else, or describing the manner of an action.

Nuances Between Similar Expressions

Although apresurarse and tener prisa both convey urgency, they are not interchangeable in every sentence. Understanding the subtle differences helps you avoid sounding awkward.

Apresurarse vs. Tener Prisa

• Apresurarse is a reflexive verb that emphasizes the act of speeding up one’s own actions. It often appears with a time goal or destination.
  Nos estamos apresurando para terminar el proyecto antes del viernes. (We are hurrying to finish the project before Friday.)

• Tener prisa describes a state of being pressed for time. It focuses on the feeling rather than the action itself.
  Ella tiene prisa porque su tren sale en cinco minutos. (She is in a hurry because her train leaves in five minutes.)

If you want to stress the effort to move faster, use apresurarse. If you want to convey the sensation of limited time, use tener prisa.

Dar Prisa vs. Apresurar a Alguien

When you need to tell someone else to speed up, Spanish offers two common constructions:

• Dar prisa a alguien – literally “to give hurry to someone.”
  El jefe nos dio prisa para cerrar el informe. (The boss hurried us to close the report.)

• Apresurar a alguien – a more direct causative form of apresurarse.
  El profesor nos apresuró para entregar el examen. (The professor hurried us to hand in the exam.)

Both are correct, but dar prisa is more colloquial, while apresurar sounds slightly more formal or instructional.

Regional Variations and Colloquial Expressions

Spanish is spoken across many countries, and each region may favor certain phrases or develop unique slang for hurry. Being aware of these variations prevents misunderstandings and helps you blend in locally.

Spain

• Correr – often used informally to mean “to hurry.”
  ¡Corre que llegamos tarde! (Hurry up, we’re late!)
• Andar con prisa – to walk around in a hurry.
  Está andando con prisa por la oficina. (He’s walking around the office in a hurry.)

Mexico

• Andar al tiro – slang for “to be in a rush” (literally “to walk at the shot”).
  Voy al tiro a la tienda. (I’m off to the store in a rush.)
• De una – used to express doing something quickly, often in response to a request.
  ¿Me pasas la sal? – De una. (Can you pass the salt? – Right away.)

Argentina and Uruguay

• Andar con fuego – to be in a hurry, literally “to walk with fire.”
  Está con fuego para llegar al partido. (He’s in a hurry to get to the game.)
• Al toque – immediately, right away.
  Lo hago al toque. (I’ll do it right away.)

Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba)

• A toda máquina – at full throttle, used to describe fast action.
  Trabajamos a toda máquina para terminar. (We worked at full throttle to finish.)
• Echarle ganas – to put effort into doing something quickly (more about effort than speed).
  Échale ganas y termina la tarea. (Put some hustle into it and finish the homework.)

Knowing these regional flavors lets you adapt your speech depending on who you’re talking to and where you are.

Practical Example Sentences

Seeing words in context solidifies understanding. Below are a variety of sentences that illustrate how to express hurry in different tenses and moods Still holds up..

Present Tense

• Yo me apresuro para no perder el autobús. (I hurry so I don’t miss the bus.)
• Nosotros tenemos prisa porque la película empieza en diez minutos. (We are in a hurry because the movie starts in ten minutes.)
• Ellos van con prisa al aeropuerto. (They are going in a hurry to the airport.)

Past Tense (Preterite)

• Me apresuré y llegué justo a tiempo. (I hurried and arrived

More Past‑Tense Examples (Preterite and Imperfect)

• Preterite: Me apresuré y perdí el autobús. (I hurried and missed the bus.)
• Preterite: Ella dio prisa a sus hijos para que desayunaran. (She hurried her children to have breakfast.)
• Imperfect: Él siempre andaba con prisa por las mañanas. (He was always in a hurry in the mornings.)
• Imperfect: Nosotros corríamos por la calle cuando el semáforo se puso en rojo. (We were running down the street when the light turned red.)

Future and Conditional Forms

• Future: Mañana me daré prisa para llegar temprano al trabajo. (Tomorrow I’ll hurry to arrive early at work.)
• Conditional: Si llueve, me apresuraré para coger un taxi. (If it rains, I’ll hurry to take a taxi.)

Commands and Exclamations

• Affirmative command: ¡Date prisa y sube al autobús! (Hurry up and get on the bus!)
• Negative command: No te apresures; camina más despacio. (Don’t hurry; walk more slowly.)
• Exclamatory: ¡Qué rápido que te das prisa! (How quickly you hurry!)

Subjunctive Mood (Desires and Doubts)

• Espero que no tengamos prisa para terminar a tiempo. (I hope we’re not in a hurry to finish on time.)
• Dudo que ella ande con fuego cuando habla. (I doubt she’s in a hurry when she talks.)

Quick Reference Table

Conclusion

Understanding how to express hurry in Spanish goes beyond a single verb; it’s a tapestry of formal, informal, and regional nuances that reflect the speaker’s identity and context. Even so, whether you choose the precise apresurarse, the everyday dar prisa, or a local favorite like correr, andar al tiro, or a toda máquina, you’ll be equipped to convey urgency naturally and appropriately. Practically speaking, mastering these variations not only improves your fluency but also helps you connect more authentically with native speakers across the Spanish‑speaking world. Keep practicing with the example sentences, and soon the right word for “hurry” will come as instinctively as the beat of a fast‑paced conversation.