Inklingo
Dictionary

barrer

bah-REHRbaˈreɾ

“barrer” means “to sweep” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to sweepA1Verb

using a broom to clean a floor

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to sweep awayB2Verb

removing things completely or clearing an area

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to sweepAlso: to brush away

VerbA1regular er
General
A wooden broom moving across a tiled floor, gathering a small pile of dust and crumbs.
gerundbarriendo
past Participlebarrido
infinitivebarrer

📝 In Action

Necesito barrer el suelo de la cocina porque hay migas.

A1

I need to sweep the kitchen floor because there are crumbs.

Mi abuela siempre barre la entrada de su casa por la mañana.

A2

My grandmother always sweeps her house entrance in the morning.

Si barres bien el garaje, te ayudaré a pintar después.

B1

If you sweep the garage well, I will help you paint later.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • escobar (to sweep (regional))
  • limpiar (to clean)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • barrer el suelo – to sweep the floor
  • barrer la casa – to sweep the house

Idioms & Expressions

  • barrer para casa – To act in one's own interest or favor one's own side.

to sweep away, to win by a landslide

VerbB2regular er
A strong gust of wind blowing dry autumn leaves off a stone path, clearing the surface completely.
gerundbarriendo
past Participlebarrido
infinitivebarrer

📝 In Action

El viento barrió las nubes y salió el sol.

B2

The wind swept away the clouds and the sun came out.

Nuestro equipo barrió en el torneo nacional.

B2

Our team swept the national tournament (won everything).

El detective barrió la habitación con la mirada.

C1

The detective scanned the room with his eyes (swept his gaze).

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • barrer con todo – to sweep everything away / to take it all
  • barrer con la mirada – to scan with one's eyes

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yobarriera
túbarrieras
él/ella/ustedbarriera
nosotrosbarriéramos
vosotrosbarrierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesbarrieran

Present Subjunctive

yobarra
túbarras
él/ella/ustedbarra
nosotrosbarramos
vosotrosbarráis
ellos/ellas/ustedesbarran

Indicative

Preterite

yobarrí
túbarriste
él/ella/ustedbarrió
nosotrosbarrimos
vosotrosbarristeis
ellos/ellas/ustedesbarrieron

Imperfect

yobarría
túbarrías
él/ella/ustedbarría
nosotrosbarríamos
vosotrosbarríais
ellos/ellas/ustedesbarrían

Present

yobarro
túbarres
él/ella/ustedbarre
nosotrosbarremos
vosotrosbarréis
ellos/ellas/ustedesbarren
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "barrer" in Spanish:

to sweep

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: barrer

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence means 'The wind cleared the sky'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
escoba(broom) — Noun
barrendero(street sweeper (person)) — Noun
barredora(sweeping machine) — Noun
barrido(the act of sweeping / scanned) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes
comerleercorrer
📚 Etymology

From the Latin word 'verrere', which means to scrape, to pull, or to sweep clean.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: varrerGalician: varrer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'barrer' a stem-changing verb?

No, 'barrer' is a completely regular -er verb. The root 'barr-' stays the same in all forms.

Can I use 'barrer' for clearing digital files?

Not usually. For deleting files, use 'borrar' (to erase/delete) or 'eliminar' (to eliminate).

What is the difference between 'barrer' and 'limpiar'?

'Limpiar' is a general word for cleaning. 'Barrer' is specific to using a broom to clear the floor.