pero siempre habla del trabajo
but he always talks about work
She plans special evenings for him, and he still only talks about his job, with siempre placed right before the verb.
From NCIS · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "always" in Spanish
siempre
adverbnever changestwo syllables
"Always" in Spanish is siempre. It never changes form and usually sits right before the verb: Siempre estudio aquí. To say forever, put para in front: para siempre.
Hear "siempre" in real movie scenes
A complaint and a confident answer. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Siempre estoy bien.
I'm always fine.
Asked whether everything is okay, the speaker treats it as a question with an obvious answer, and siempre opens the reply.
From Alfie · Spanish audio
Set phrases with siempre
Six phrases built around the same word.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| para siempre | forever |
| como siempre | as usual, as always |
| casi siempre | almost always |
| de siempre | the usual (el bar de siempre, our usual bar) |
| siempre que | whenever, every time that |
| siempre y cuando | as long as, provided that |
Tip: For the opposite, swap in nunca: Siempre estudio aquí turns into Nunca estudio aquí.
Grammar: where siempre goes
Four points about a word that never changes.
Before the verb
The usual spot is right before the verb: Siempre estudio aquí. It can also close the sentence: Estudio aquí siempre.Not always
Put no first: No siempre estudio aquí. I don't always study here.In questions
Siempre keeps its place in front of the verb: ¿Por qué siempre estudias? Why are you always studying?Two syllables
Say SYEM-preh. The ie glides into one sound, and the r after the p is a single tap.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Siempre estudio aquí.
I always study here.
Siempre trabajo de medianoche.
I always work the midnight shift.
¿Por qué siempre estudias?
Why are you always studying?
Siempre estudio en el jardín.
I always study in the garden.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Siempre no estudio aquí. (meaning not always)
✓No siempre estudio aquí.
No goes in front of siempre when you mean not always.
✗sempre
✓siempre
Italian and Portuguese write sempre. Spanish adds an i: siempre.
✗see-EM-pray (pronunciation)
✓SYEM-preh
Siempre has two syllables, and the final e is short, with no y glide.
Real conversation: why are you always studying?
A short dialog at home with a curious kid.
You're at home studying from your notes when Marco, your five-year-old nephew, sits down next to you.
¿Por qué siempre estudias?
Why are you always studying?
Pues, tengo un examen.
Well, I have an exam.
¿Un examen? ¿Por qué?
An exam? Why?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Siempre comes from the Latin semper, the word in the Marine Corps motto Semper Fi, always faithful. Hear semper inside siempre and you'll remember it means always.
Questions about "always" in Spanish
How do you say always in Spanish?
Siempre. It usually goes right before the verb: Siempre estoy bien.
How do you say forever in Spanish?
Para siempre. Te quiero para siempre means I'll love you forever.
How do you say "not always" in Spanish?
No siempre, with no at the front: No siempre es fácil. It's not always easy.
What is the opposite of siempre?
Nunca, never. In between you'll find a veces, sometimes, and casi siempre, almost always.
