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describir

deh-skree-BEER/des.kɾiˈβiɾ/

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

to describe

Also: to portray, to detail
VerbA1regular (except for past participle) ir
A woman stands next to a large, intricately detailed castle model, pointing out specific features to a man who is listening intently.
infinitivedescribir
gerunddescribiendo
past Participledescrito

📝 In Action

Ella describió el paisaje con mucha emoción.

A1

She described the landscape with a lot of emotion.

¿Puedes describir al ladrón a la policía?

A2

Can you describe the thief to the police?

El informe describe los problemas económicos del país.

B1

The report details the country's economic problems.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • detallar (to detail)
  • narrar (to narrate)

Common Collocations

  • describir un evento – to describe an event
  • describir con precisión – to describe accurately

to describe oneself

Also: to be described
Verb (Reflexive)B1regular, reflexive irse
A person stands thoughtfully, holding a small, miniature version of themselves in their hands, symbolizing self-description.

📝 In Action

¿Cómo te describirías en tres palabras?

B1

How would you describe yourself in three words?

La situación se describe como insostenible.

B2

The situation is described as unsustainable.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • definirse (to define oneself)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

preterite

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

present

él/ella/usteddescribe
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescriben
vosotrosdescribís
nosotrosdescribimos
yodescribo
túdescribes

imperfect

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

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

él/ella/usteddescribiera
ellos/ellas/ustedesdescribieran
vosotrosdescribierais
nosotrosdescribiéramos
yodescribiera
túdescribieras
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "describir" in Spanish:

to describe→to detail→to portray→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: describir

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the irregular past participle of 'describir'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
descripción(description) — Noun
descriptivo(descriptive) — Adjective
escrito(written (past participle of escribir)) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *describere*, which meant 'to copy, to trace, or to write down.' It is formed by the prefix *de-* (meaning 'down' or 'thoroughly') and *scribere* ('to write').

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: descreverItalian: descrivere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'describir' a stem-changing verb?

No, thankfully! 'Describir' is a regular verb in all tenses except for its past participle ('descrito'). Its stem (describ-) never changes vowels, making it easier to conjugate than many other common Spanish verbs.

How is 'describir' related to 'escribir'?

They share the root meaning 'to write.' 'Escribir' means 'to write,' while 'describir' (literally 'to write down thoroughly') means 'to give a written or verbal account of something.'