Why Invitar Means Both "To Invite" and "To Treat"
Invitar is the everyday verb for inviting, and it is regular. It also does something English does with a different word: it means to treat someone. Te invito says "it's on me."
Learn the six chunks below and you will plan events, offer to pay and describe things that make you think.
Pattern 1: Te invito — "It's on me"
The warm way to offer to pay, for a coffee, a dinner or a round. Use invito yo to insist. For paying, see [Pagar] Chunks; for the more formal corre de mi cuenta, see [Correr] Chunks.
- Hoy te invito yo. — It's on me today.
- Yo invito esta ronda. — I'll get this round.
- No, no, invito yo. — No, no, my treat.
Chunk to learn:
Te invito / Invito yo
Pattern 2: Invitar a… — "To invite to…"
Use a for the event or place, or for an infinitive: te invito a cenar invites and offers to pay. For going, see [Ir] Chunks.
- Me invitaron a su boda. — They invited me to their wedding.
- Te invito a cenar. — Let me take you out to dinner.
- Lo invité a mi casa. — I invited him to my place.
Chunk to learn:
Invitar a + [evento / lugar] / Invitar a + [infinitivo]
Pattern 3: La casa invita — "It's on the house"
What the waiter says when the restaurant covers something: a coffee, a dessert, a drink. La casa is the house, meaning the business. For restaurants, see [Comer] Chunks.
- La casa invita al café. — The coffee is on the house.
- Los postres los invita la casa. — The desserts are on the house.
- Hoy invita la casa. — Today it's on the house.
Chunk to learn:
Invita la casa / La casa invita a + [algo]
Pattern 4: Invitar un café — "To buy someone a coffee"
Here invitar takes the drink or food directly, and the person who gets it is me, te, le. It is the casual form of Pattern 1. For ordering, see [Tomar] Chunks.
- Te invito un café. — I'll buy you a coffee.
- Me invitó una copa de vino. — He bought me a glass of wine.
- ¿Me invitas un helado? — Will you buy me an ice cream?
Chunk to learn:
Invitar + [un café / una copa / un helado] (a + [persona])
Pattern 5: Invita a pensar — "It makes you think"
Here the subject is a book, a film or a view that invites you to do something. It sounds thoughtful and is common in reviews. For thinking, see [Pensar] Chunks.
- El libro invita a reflexionar. — The book invites reflection.
- La película invita a pensar. — The film makes you think.
- El paisaje invita a descansar. — The landscape invites you to rest.
Chunk to learn:
[Algo] invita a + [reflexionar / pensar / descansar]
Pattern 6: Estar invitado — "To be invited / a guest"
Use estar invitado for being on the guest list, and los invitados for the guests. For estar, see Ser vs. Estar Chunks.
- ¿Estoy invitado? — Am I invited?
- No estás invitado a la fiesta. — You're not invited to the party.
- Los invitados llegan a las ocho. — The guests arrive at eight.
Chunk to learn:
Estar invitado a + [evento] / Los invitados
Invitar vs. Convidar vs. Ofrecer
Invitar is the standard verb for inviting and treating. In much of Latin America, especially Argentina and Chile, convidar means to offer or share food and drink: ¿me convidas un mate? (Will you share your mate with me?). Ofrecer means to offer without necessarily paying. A huésped is a guest staying at your home or a hotel; an invitado is a guest at an event.
Start with te invito and invito yo. You will use both the first time you go out with Spanish speakers and the bill arrives.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.