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describe

de-SKREE-behdesˈkɾi.βe

“describe” means “describes” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

describes, describe

Also: is describing
VerbA1irregular past participle ir
A person pointing to different parts of a colorful fruit basket while talking to a friend.
gerunddescribiendo
past Participledescrito
infinitivedescribir

📝 In Action

Ella describe muy bien su ciudad.

A1

She describes her city very well.

¡Describe a la persona que viste!

A2

Describe the person you saw!

El autor describe los sentimientos del protagonista.

B1

The author describes the protagonist's feelings.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • describe con detalle – describe in detail
  • describe la situación – describe the situation

traces

Also: outlines
VerbB2figurative/mathematical irformal
A hand using a wooden stick to draw a perfect circle in the sand on a beach.

📝 In Action

La Tierra describe una elipse alrededor del Sol.

B2

The Earth traces an ellipse around the Sun.

El avión describe un arco en el cielo.

B2

The plane traces an arc in the sky.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • describe una órbita – traces an orbit
  • describe una curva – traces a curve

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodescribiera
túdescribieras
él/ella/usteddescribiera
nosotrosdescribiéramos
vosotrosdescribierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescribieran

Present Subjunctive

yodescriba
túdescribas
él/ella/usteddescriba
nosotrosdescribamos
vosotrosdescribáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescriban

Indicative

Preterite

yodescribí
túdescribiste
él/ella/usteddescribió
nosotrosdescribimos
vosotrosdescribisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescribieron

Imperfect

yodescribía
túdescribías
él/ella/usteddescribía
nosotrosdescribíamos
vosotrosdescribíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescribían

Present

yodescribo
túdescribes
él/ella/usteddescribe
nosotrosdescribimos
vosotrosdescribís
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescriben
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "describe" in Spanish:

describe→describes→is describing→outlines→traces→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: describe

Question 1 of 2

If you want to tell a friend 'Describe your house!', what do you say?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
describir(to describe) — Verb
descripción(description) — Noun
descriptivo(descriptive) — Adjective
descrito(described) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'describere'. The first part 'de-' means 'down' or 'completely', and 'scribere' means 'to write'. It literally means to 'write down' exactly how something is.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: describeFrench: décrireItalian: descrivere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'describe' mean 'I describe'?

No, if you want to say 'I describe,' you must use 'describo.' The word 'describe' is only for 'he/she/it/you (formal)' or a command to a friend.

How do I say 'Describe it to me'?

You attach the person and the thing to the end: 'Descríbemelo'.