verb
to save (money), to conserve, to economize
A2
'sparen' primarily means 'to save' (money) and 'to economize' or 'to conserve'. It's a regular weak verb, non-reflexive, with auxiliary 'haben' (Perfekt: 'habe gespart'). No special preposition. Common collocations: 'Geld sparen', 'Energie sparen'. Imperative forms: 'spar!' (du), 'spart!' (ihr). frequently.
Examples
Er versucht, Energie zu sparen, indem er das Licht ausschaltet.
He tries to conserve energy by turning off the light.
Sie hat viel Geld gespart.
She saved a lot of money.
Ich spare Geld für ein neues Auto.
I'm saving money for a new car.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine putting coins into a piggy bank labeled 'SPAREN' to remember saving actions.
Sounds like English 'spare' (to keep something for later) — think 'spare money'.
Notes
Common collocations: 'Geld sparen', 'Energie sparen'. Past participle is 'gespart' and uses the auxiliary 'haben' in perfect tenses. Not separable. To indicate the purpose of saving use sparen für + accusative (e.g., für den Urlaub sparen).