Volver + A + Infinitive (Do Again)

The construction volver + a + infinitive expresses repetition: doing something again. On its own, volver means "to return" or "to go back", but in this periphrastic structure it takes on the meaning of "once more" or "another time".

This is the most natural way in Spanish to say "I did X again", and it's preferred over adverbial phrases like otra vez or de nuevo when combined with a verb.

Formation

Conjugate volver in any tense, add the preposition a, and follow it with an infinitive. Note that volver is a stem-changing verb (o → ue) in the present.

SubjectVolver (present)
  • a + Infinitive
yovuelvovuelvo a leerlo
túvuelvesvuelves a leerlo
él/ella/ustedvuelvevuelve a leerlo
nosotrosvolvemosvolvemos a leerlo
ustedes/ellosvuelvenvuelven a leerlo

Volvió a intentarlo y esta vez lo logró.

He tried it again, and this time he succeeded.

Vuelvo a leer el libro porque me encantó.

I'm reading the book again because I loved it.

Why Use Volver a Instead of Otra Vez?

Both options exist, but volver a + infinitive sounds cleaner and more idiomatic than adding otra vez at the end of a sentence.

Idiomatic (volver a)Also correct (otra vez)
Volví a llamarte.Te llamé otra vez.
Volvimos a vernos.Nos vimos otra vez.
No vuelvas a hacerlo.No lo hagas otra vez.

¡No vuelvas a decirme eso!

Don't say that to me again!

💡
The negative imperative form no vuelvas a... is a very common way to warn someone not to repeat an action. It's a little stronger than no lo hagas otra vez, carrying a tone of "don't you dare do that again".

In the Past Tenses

Volver a + infinitive works naturally in both the preterite and the imperfect, depending on whether you're describing a completed repetition or an ongoing/habitual one.

Volvimos a vernos después de diez años.

We saw each other again after ten years.

Cada verano volvía a visitar a sus abuelos.

Every summer he would visit his grandparents again.

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns either go before the conjugated volver or attach to the infinitive. Both positions are standard.

Lo vuelvo a explicar. / Vuelvo a explicarlo.

I'll explain it again.

Common Combinations

Some verbs pair especially often with volver a:

  • volver a ver — to see again
  • volver a empezar — to start over
  • volver a intentar — to try again
  • volver a leer — to reread
  • volver a escribir — to rewrite

Si no te sale, vuelve a empezar desde el principio.

If it doesn't work out, start over from the beginning.

💡
Don't mix up volver a casa ("to return home", the literal meaning) with volver a + infinitive ("to do something again"). The key difference is whether a is followed by a noun/place or by a verb in the infinitive.

Compare volver a with empezar a + infinitive for starting an action fresh, not repeating it.

Related Topics