diferir

dee-feh-REERdifeˈɾiɾ

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

to differ🔊B2Verb

being different or having a different opinion

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to postpone🔊C1Verb

delaying an action or event to a later time

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to differ

Also: to disagree

VerbB2irregular (e-ie and e-i) ir

A row of several identical red apples with one bright green apple in the middle.

gerunddifiriendo

past Participlediferido

infinitivediferir

📝 In Action

Nuestras opiniones sobre la película difieren mucho.

Our opinions about the movie differ a lot.

Este modelo difiere del anterior en el tamaño de la pantalla.

This model differs from the previous one in screen size.

Lamento diferir con usted, pero creo que los datos son incorrectos.

I'm sorry to disagree with you, but I believe the data is incorrect.

Word Connections

Synonyms

discrepar (to disagree)
distar (to be different/distant)

Antonyms

coincidir (to coincide/agree)

Common Collocations

diferir de – to differ from
diferir en – to differ in (a specific aspect)

to postpone

Also: to defer

VerbC1irregular (e-ie and e-i) irformal

A packed suitcase sitting by a closed door with a raincoat hanging nearby.

gerunddifiriendo

past Participlediferido

infinitivediferir

📝 In Action

Han decidido diferir el pago hasta el próximo mes.

They have decided to defer the payment until next month.

El juez difirió la sentencia para estudiar mejor el caso.

The judge postponed the sentencing to study the case better.

No podemos diferir esta decisión por más tiempo.

We cannot put off this decision any longer.

Word Connections

Synonyms

posponer (to postpone)
aplazar (to delay/put off)

Antonyms

adelantar (to move forward/advance)

Common Collocations

diferir el pago – to defer payment
diferir en el tiempo – to spread out over time

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodifiriera

túdifirieras

él/ella/usteddifiriera

nosotrosdifiriéramos

vosotrosdifirierais

ellos/ellas/ustedesdifirieran

Present Subjunctive

yodifiera

túdifieras

él/ella/usteddifiera

nosotrosdifiramos

vosotrosdifiráis

ellos/ellas/ustedesdifieran

Indicative

Preterite

yodiferí

túdiferiste

él/ella/usteddifirió

nosotrosdiferimos

vosotrosdiferisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedesdifirieron

Imperfect

yodifería

túdiferías

él/ella/usteddifería

nosotrosdiferíamos

vosotrosdiferíais

ellos/ellas/ustedesdiferían

Present

yodifiero

túdifieres

él/ella/usteddifiere

nosotrosdiferimos

vosotrosdiferís

ellos/ellas/ustedesdifieren

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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "diferir" in Spanish:

to defer→to differ→to disagree→to postpone→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: diferir

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence means 'The siblings are very different from each other'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

diferencia(difference) — Noun

diferente(different) — Adjective

diferido(delayed/deferred) — Adjective

diferenciación(differentiation) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

preferir sugerir transferir

📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'differre', which combines 'dis-' (apart) and 'ferre' (to carry). Literally, it means to carry things in different directions.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: differEnglish: defer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'diferir' the same as 'ser diferente'?

Mostly, yes. 'Diferir' is a verb ('to differ'), while 'ser diferente' uses an adjective ('to be different'). 'Diferir' sounds more formal.

When should I use 'diferir' instead of 'aplazar'?

Use 'aplazar' for daily things like a meeting or a doctor's visit. Use 'diferir' for formal things like taxes, legal sentences, or financial payments.

How do I conjugate the 'they' form in the past?

It's 'difirieron'. The 'e' changes to 'i' in the third-person plural of the preterite past tense.