Why Aprovechar Is the Verb of Making the Most of It
Aprovechar means to take advantage of something in a good way: a chance, a moment, a resource, even a meal. It is a regular verb with a positive feel, and it is everywhere in messages and emails (aprovecho para…).
Watch out for its reflexive form aprovecharse de: it means taking advantage of a person, and that is negative. The six chunks below keep the two apart.
Pattern 1: ¡Que aproveche! — "Enjoy your meal!"
The polite thing to say to people who are eating. In Spain you will hear ¡que aproveche!; in Latin America ¡buen provecho! is the usual form, and both are understood everywhere.
- ¡Que aproveche! — Enjoy your meal!
- ¡Buen provecho, familia! — Enjoy, everyone!
- —Que aproveche. —Gracias, igualmente. — "Enjoy your meal." "Thanks, you too."
Chunk to learn:
¡Que aproveche! / ¡Buen provecho!
Pattern 2: Aprovechar la oportunidad / el tiempo — "To make the most of…"
The classic meaning. Use aprovechar plus the thing you do not want to waste. For more on time, see [Pasar] Chunks.
- Aprovecha la oportunidad. — Make the most of the opportunity.
- Hay que aprovechar el tiempo. — We have to make the most of our time.
- Aproveché el fin de semana para descansar. — I made the most of the weekend to rest.
Chunk to learn:
Aprovechar + [la oportunidad / el tiempo / el día]
Pattern 3: Aprovechar para… — "To take the chance to…"
Use para plus an infinitive to say what you do with the chance. Aprovecho para… is one of the most useful ways to start a polite message. For more on para, see Para Que Chunks.
- Aprovecho para saludarte. — I'm taking the chance to say hi.
- Aprovechamos para visitar a mis abuelos. — We took the chance to visit my grandparents.
- Aproveché para hacer las compras. — I took the chance to do the shopping.
Chunk to learn:
Aprovechar para + [infinitivo] / Aprovecho para decirte…
Pattern 4: Aprovechar que… — "Since… / While…"
Use que plus a full clause for the situation you are taking advantage of. It sounds natural in speech: "while you are here," "since it is cheap."
- Aprovecho que estás aquí para preguntarte algo. — Since you're here, I'll ask you something.
- Aprovecha que hace buen tiempo. — Make the most of the good weather.
- Aprovechemos que no hay fila. — Let's take advantage of there being no line.
Chunk to learn:
Aprovechar que + [situación]
Pattern 5: Aprovecharse de… — "To take advantage of (someone)"
With se and de, the meaning turns negative: using someone's kindness, trust or weakness for your own benefit. Do not use it as a compliment.
- Se aprovechó de mí. — He took advantage of me.
- No te aproveches de su amabilidad. — Don't take advantage of his kindness.
- Algunos se aprovechan de la gente mayor. — Some people take advantage of the elderly.
Chunk to learn:
Aprovecharse de + [persona / situación]
Pattern 6: Ser un aprovechado — "To be a freeloader"
The noun-adjective aprovechado / aprovechada describes someone who always takes advantage of others. It is colloquial and a little harsh. For more on ser, see Ser vs. Estar Chunks.
- Es un aprovechado. — He's a freeloader.
- No seas aprovechada. — Don't be such a freeloader.
- Mi primo es un aprovechado: siempre come gratis en mi casa. — My cousin is a mooch: he always eats for free at my place.
Chunk to learn:
Ser un aprovechado / una aprovechada
Aprovechar vs. Usar vs. Disfrutar
Usar is simply "to use"; see [Usar] Chunks. Aprovechar adds the idea of not wasting it. Disfrutar is about enjoying. So uso el día just describes what you do, aprovecho el día says you make it count, and disfruto el día says you enjoy it.
Start with aprovecho para decirte… and ¡que aproveche!. You will use both in the first week of any real conversation.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.