Introduction
Understanding how to say that something matters to you in Spanish is essential for everyday conversation. The difference between Me importa and Me importan hinges on grammar and number agreement. This article explains the rules clearly, gives many example sentences, and offers tips to avoid common mistakes.
- What does importar mean?
- Basic grammar rule: number agreement
- Step-by-step: identify subject and indirect object
- Examples with clear explanations
- When to use an infinitive after importa
- Compound subjects and mixed number
- Pronoun placement and emphasis
- Negative sentences and questions
- Using adjectives and additional verbs
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Stylistic and cultural notes
- Regional variations and register
- More example sentences with translations
- Quick reference summary
- Conclusion
What does importar mean?
Importar is a verb that in Spanish is used to express importance, care, or concern. It is most commonly used in an impersonal construction with an indirect object pronoun to indicate who cares and a subject that indicates what is important. English translations include to matter, to be important, and to care about.
Grammatically, importar behaves like verbs such as gustar and interesar: the thing that matters is the subject, while the person affected is marked by an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les). This inverted structure is key to choosing between Me importa and Me importan.
Basic grammar rule: number agreement
The main rule is straightforward. Use Me importa when the subject that matters is singular or an infinitive verb. Use Me importan when the subject is plural. The indirect object pronoun remains me because the person who cares does not change with number.
Examples with singular subjects or actions:
Me importa la salud.
Me importa estudiar para el examen.
Examples with plural subjects:
Me importan los amigos.
Me importan las opiniones de la gente.
Step-by-step: identify subject and indirect object
To choose the correct form, follow these steps:
1. Identify who cares. If you are the person, use me. Other pronouns include te, le, nos, os, les.
2. Identify what matters. This is the grammatical subject and determines singular or plural.
3. Conjugate importar to agree with the subject number: importa for singular, importan for plural.
Examples with clear explanations
Example 1: Me importa la familia.
Explanation: la familia is singular, so we use Me importa.
Example 2: Me importan mis padres.
Explanation: mis padres is plural, so we use Me importan.
Example 3: Me importa comer bien.
Explanation: comer is an infinitive (an action), treated as singular, so Me importa is correct.
Example 4: Me importan las decisiones que tomo.
Explanation: las decisiones is plural, so Me importan.
When to use an infinitive after importa
Infinitives function as singular nouns in Spanish. When you want to say that doing or not doing an action matters to you, use importa with the infinitive.
Examples:
Me importa llegar a tiempo.
Me importa ayudar a mis amigos.
Compound subjects and mixed number
If the subject includes more than one element, number agreement follows the whole subject. Use importan for multiple items and importa for a single item or a list treated as a single unit.
Examples:
Me importan la salud y la familia. (two separate things = plural)
Me importa la salud y el bienestar. (if the speaker treats salud y bienestar as a single concept, native speakers might still choose importan — but grammatically it’s plural)
Pronoun placement and emphasis
The indirect object pronoun usually precedes the verb: me importa, te importa, nos importan. You can add clarity or emphasis with a prepositional phrase using a + name or a + pronoun for clarification: a mí, a ti, a él/ella, a nosotros, a vosotros, a ellos. This is common when le or les could be ambiguous.
Examples:
Me importa a mí. (rare — better as A mí me importa)
A mí me importa la educación.
A ellos les importan sus mascotas.
Negative sentences and questions
Negation does not change the agreement rule. Place no before the indirect object pronoun or before the verb phrase depending on emphasis.
Examples:
No me importa el dinero.
No me importan las críticas.
¿Te importa si abro la ventana?
¿Les importan las reglas?
Using adjectives and additional verbs
You can combine importar with adjectives or other verbs to add nuance. The agreement rules still rely on the subject number.
Examples:
Me resulta importante la familia. (using resultar + adjective; la familia singular)
Me parecen importantes las metas. (parecer + plural subject)
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake 1: Matching the verb to the indirect object pronoun. Remember that importar agrees with the subject (the thing that matters), not with the person who cares. People often say *Me importan mi trabajo* incorrectly. Correct is Me importa mi trabajo if trabajo is singular.
Mistake 2: Forgetting to pluralize with compound subjects. If two things matter, use importan. Pay attention to articles and adjectives that show plurality: los, las, mis, tus, sus, etc.
Mistake 3: Confusing infinitives. Infinitives are singular, so use importa with actions like comer, estudiar, viajar.
Stylistic and cultural notes
In everyday Spanish, people often use importar to express genuine concern or, conversely, indifference. The phrase Me importa mucho is strong and sincere. The short phrase Me da igual or No me importa can convey indifference. Tone, context, and intonation are important cultural cues: in some situations using a softer verb like interesar or preocupar can sound more polite or specific.
Examples:
Me importa mucho tu opinión. (sincere concern)
No me importa. (indifference — can sound blunt depending on tone)
Me preocupa tu salud. (using preocupar to express worry rather than mere importance)
Regional variations and register
While the grammar rule is universal, colloquial expressions can vary. In some regions, speakers use verbs like importar more casually, and contractions or short replies are common. For polite or formal contexts, pairing indirect object pronouns with explicit clarifying phrases like A usted le importa may be preferred for clarity and respect.
More example sentences with translations
Me importa el respeto. — I care about respect.
Me importan tus sentimientos. — I care about your feelings.
Me importa terminar este proyecto hoy. — It matters to me to finish this project today.
¿Te importa si prendo la luz? — Do you mind if I turn on the light?
Nos importan las tradiciones familiares. — Family traditions matter to us.
Les importa poco la opinión de los demás. — Other people’s opinions matter little to them.
Quick reference summary
Use Me importa when the subject is singular or an infinitive action. Use Me importan when the subject is plural. The indirect object pronoun remains the same and identifies who cares. When in doubt, identify the subject and make the verb agree in number.
Conclusion
Mastering the difference between Me importa and Me importan is a small but powerful step in Spanish fluency. Remember to identify the subject that matters, check singular or plural, and conjugate accordingly. With practice, using importa and importan will become automatic in everyday speech and writing.
