Introduction
reservarán is a Spanish verb form that means they will reserve, they will book, or they will set aside. You may see it when people talk about travel plans, restaurant tables, event tickets, appointments, or saving something for later. It is useful because Spanish often expresses future plans with a single verb form, while English may use the words will or going to.
This form belongs to the verb reservar, which can describe keeping something available for a person or purpose. The ending tells you that the action will be done by a group of people, or by a formal you. The subject is not always written in Spanish, so context helps you work out who is doing the reserving. Once you recognize the ending, you can understand the word in schedules, messages, announcements, and everyday conversation. This guide explains its meaning, grammar, pronunciation, related words, and common uses with clear examples.
Meaning and Definition
The basic meaning of reservarán is they will reserve or they will book. It is the simple future tense of reservar in the third-person plural form. In grammar, that means it usually refers to ellos or ellas, which mean they, or ustedes, the plural form of you used throughout Latin America and in formal situations in Spain.
For example, a sentence about a group planning a meal might use this form to say that they will reserve a table. The people doing the action could be friends, staff members, or a family. Spanish speakers often leave out the subject pronoun because the verb ending already gives useful information. A sentence can therefore begin with the verb, and the surrounding conversation tells you which people it refers to.
The verb reservar has several related meanings. It can mean to book something, such as a room or a seat, by arranging to use it later. It can also mean to keep or set something aside, such as a place, a portion, or time in a schedule. The right English translation depends on what is being kept available. When the topic is a service or a place to visit, book is often the most natural translation. When the topic is an amount or a resource, set aside or save may fit better.
In some contexts, reservar can also mean to withhold information or keep something for a particular purpose. This use still carries the central idea of not using or giving something away yet. The future form signals that the action is expected or planned to happen later. It does not, by itself, say whether the plan is certain, already arranged, or only a possibility. Other words in the sentence and the situation provide that nuance.
Reservar comes from Latin reservare, a verb built from re- and servare, meaning to keep back or preserve. Its modern Spanish uses still connect to the idea of keeping something available. The future form is regular: Spanish attaches the future ending to the complete infinitive, reservar. For this form, the ending is -án. This pattern is shared by many regular Spanish verbs, which makes it useful to learn as a general grammar rule rather than as an isolated word.
Usage and Example Sentences
The examples below show how the subject and situation guide the meaning. Notice that the subject pronoun may appear for emphasis or clarity, but it is often left out when it is already understood.
Spanish: Ellos reservarán una mesa para seis personas.
English: They will reserve a table for six people.
Spanish: Mis padres reservarán una habitación cerca del centro.
English: My parents will book a room near the city center.
Spanish: Ustedes reservarán sus asientos antes del viernes.
English: You will reserve your seats before Friday.
Spanish: La escuela reservará dos lugares para cada grupo.
English: The school will reserve two places for each group.
Spanish: ¿A qué hora reservarán la cancha para el partido?
English: What time will they reserve the court for the game?
Spanish: Los organizadores reservarán una parte del salón para los niños.
English: The organizers will set aside part of the room for the children.
Spanish: Si llegan temprano, reservarán una buena mesa junto a la ventana.
English: If they arrive early, they will reserve a good table by the window.
Spanish: Mis amigos reservarán tiempo para visitar el museo.
English: My friends will set aside time to visit the museum.
Spanish: ¿Reservarán los boletos por internet o en la taquilla?
English: Will they book the tickets online or at the ticket office?
Spanish: El hotel reservará una plaza de estacionamiento para cada huésped.
English: The hotel will reserve one parking space for each guest.
Several examples use plural subjects, such as ellos, ustedes, or organizers. The examples with a singular subject use reservará, not the plural form. This contrast is helpful because it shows that the ending changes to match the person or people doing the action. A speaker can also use the plural form without naming the subject when the conversation has already made it clear.
Synonyms, Antonyms, and Word Usage Differences
A close synonym is apartarán, from apartar, which can mean they will set aside or put aside. It works well when people keep an object, portion, or space separate for a particular purpose. For example, someone might set aside a few chairs for guests. However, apartar does not always suggest a formal booking. If people contact a hotel to secure a room, reservar is usually the more direct choice.
Guardar can mean to keep or store something. It is suitable when the main idea is putting an item somewhere so it can be used later. It does not usually mean making a booking with a business. Separar can mean to separate or set something apart, and it may work in some situations, but it can also refer simply to making things distinct from one another. These verbs overlap with reservar in certain contexts, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence.
For booking a service or place, learners may also encounter hacer una reserva, meaning to make a reservation. This phrase is a noun-based alternative to using the verb. For instance, a person can say that a group will make a reservation, rather than that it will reserve a table. Reservar is shorter and often sounds straightforward. Hacer una reserva can be useful when talking about the reservation as an arrangement or record.
There is no single opposite that fits every meaning. If reservarán means they will keep something for later, usarán, they will use, can express the reverse idea in a suitable context. If it means they will book a place, cancelarán, they will cancel, may be the opposite action. These are contextual opposites rather than exact dictionary opposites. The best choice depends on what has been reserved and what action is being contrasted with it.
To choose the right word, first ask what is happening. If someone is arranging access to a room, table, seat, or service, reservar is a strong choice. If someone is storing an object, guardar may be clearer. If someone is keeping a portion separate, apartar may be more natural. Then check the subject. Use the plural future ending when the subject is they or ustedes; use another form if one person or a different subject is doing the action.
Pronunciation and Accent
A helpful pronunciation guide for many Latin American accents is reh-sehr-bah-RAHN, with the strongest stress on the final syllable. In IPA, a broad Latin American pronunciation is /reseɾˈβaɾan/. The exact sounds vary by region and speaking style, but the word has four syllables: re-ser-va-rán. Say each part smoothly, without adding an extra syllable between the letters.
The written accent mark appears over the á in the final syllable. It shows that the natural stress falls on that syllable. Spanish spelling rules normally place stress on the next-to-last syllable when a word ends in a vowel, n, or s. Because this word has stress on the last syllable and ends in n, it needs the written accent mark. Without the mark, the usual stress pattern would be different.
In most Spanish-speaking regions, b and v represent the same Spanish sound, so the v in reservarán is not pronounced like the English v. Its sound is made with the lips, similar to a soft b. Between vowels, many speakers pronounce it gently, which is why the IPA symbol β can appear in a pronunciation guide. Try not to press the lower lip against the upper teeth as you would for English v.
The first r in the word is a light tap, similar to the quick sound in pero. The final r of the infinitive is also a tap when it appears before the future ending. Speakers in Spain may pronounce the s sound in the first syllables differently, depending on the region; in areas that distinguish c or z before e and i, that distinction does not change this word because its relevant consonant is s. Focus first on the clear syllables and the final stress.
A common learner mistake is to place the stress on va, as in reservaran, or to forget the accent mark. These are different written forms: reservarán is the future form meaning they will reserve, while reservaran is a form used in certain subordinate clauses, often after words that introduce a condition or wish. For everyday future plans, remember the final stressed syllable and the accent over á.
Native Speaker Nuance and Usage Context
Native speakers use reservarán in practical contexts when discussing plans that are expected to happen in the future. It can appear in conversation about travel, dining, activities, school events, and schedules. The form itself is neutral: it is not especially formal or casual. The tone comes from the surrounding words and the situation. Friends can use it when making plans, and a business can use it in a clear announcement.
The simple future often sounds like a prediction, promise, or statement about what is planned. For example, a sentence about a family booking a room can simply report what the family intends to do. Spanish speakers also commonly use ir a plus the infinitive to talk about a near or arranged future. A speaker might say van a reservar, meaning they are going to reserve. The simple future and this construction can overlap, but the first may sound more general, concise, or predictive, while the second often highlights an intention or plan.
Context also helps identify the subject. If a conversation is about a group of visitors, a sentence with no pronoun may still clearly mean that the visitors will make a booking. If there could be confusion, the speaker can add ellos, ellas, or ustedes. Pronouns may also add contrast or emphasis. For example, a speaker might stress that one group will reserve the room while another group will choose a different activity.
The verb does not always refer to a commercial reservation. In a school, someone might set aside seats for students. In a home, a family might keep part of a room available for guests. In a schedule, a person might reserve an hour for reading or practice. In each case, the central meaning is that a resource is being kept available for a particular use. Look at the object after the verb to decide whether book, reserve, or set aside is the most natural English translation.
In written Spanish, this form may appear in announcements, travel information, service descriptions, and plans. In conversation, speakers may choose a shorter construction or leave out a pronoun, but the verb ending remains informative. Learners can sound more natural by matching the verb to the subject and choosing a noun that fits the situation, such as a table, room, seat, or period of time. It is also useful to notice whether the reservation is confirmed or only being discussed as a future possibility, since the verb alone does not settle that question.
Conclusion
reservarán is the third-person plural simple future form of reservar. It usually means they will reserve or they will book, and it can also mean they will set something aside. The exact translation depends on what is being kept available and on the situation. It commonly refers to arrangements involving places, services, seats, time, or other resources.
Remember that the ending usually points to ellos, ellas, or ustedes, even when the subject pronoun is not included. Pronounce the word with four syllables and stress the final syllable, and keep the accent mark over á when writing it. Learning this form also helps you recognize the regular Spanish future tense, which is built by adding endings to the infinitive. With practice, you will be able to understand it in plans and announcements and use it clearly when talking about future bookings or things that people will keep for later.
