intentar

Senses

1. 1.

   to try; to attempt

   to make an effort to do something

2. 2.

   to try to; to attempt to

   followed by an infinitive, expressing the effort to achieve an action

Examples

• "Voy a intentar llamar al teléfono."

  I'm going to try to call on the phone.

• "Intentaron abrir la puerta, pero estaba cerrada."

  They attempted to open the door, but it was locked.

• "¿Has intentado hablar con él sobre el problema?"

  Have you tried to speak with him about the problem?

Usage

Very common verb; always used with an infinitive. Close synonyms include "tratar de" and "procurar," though "intentar" is more direct and colloquial. Note the difference from "intención" (intention/aim), which is a noun.