Inklingo

dirigen

dee-REE-hendiˈɾixen

dirigen means they lead in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they lead, they run

Also: you all lead
VerbA2spelling change ir
A person standing at the front of a small group of hikers, pointing toward a mountain path.
past Participledirigido
infinitivedirigir
gerunddirigiendo

📝 In Action

Ellos dirigen una empresa de tecnología muy exitosa.

A2

They run a very successful technology company.

Ustedes dirigen el proyecto con mucha paciencia.

B1

You all lead the project with a lot of patience.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • dirigen la miradathey look towards/aim their gaze
  • dirigen el tráficothey direct traffic

they direct

Also: they conduct
VerbB1spelling change ir
A person standing on a podium with a baton, waving their arms in front of a group of musicians with violins.
past Participledirigido
infinitivedirigir
gerunddirigiendo

📝 In Action

Esas directoras dirigen películas de acción.

B1

Those directors direct action movies.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • dirigen una orquestathey conduct an orchestra

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yodirija
dirijas
él/ella/usteddirija
nosotrosdirijamos
vosotrosdirijáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdirijan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodirigiera
dirigieras
él/ella/usteddirigiera
nosotrosdirigiéramos
vosotrosdirigierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigieran

Indicative

Preterite

yodirigí
dirigiste
él/ella/usteddirigió
nosotrosdirigimos
vosotrosdirigisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigieron

Imperfect

yodirigía
dirigías
él/ella/usteddirigía
nosotrosdirigíamos
vosotrosdirigíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigían

Present

yodirijo
diriges
él/ella/usteddirige
nosotrosdirigimos
vosotrosdirigís
ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigen

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "dirigen" in Spanish:

they conductthey directthey leadthey run

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: dirigen

Question 1 of 2

How do you say 'They run the hospital'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Latin 'dirigere', which means 'to set straight' or 'to guide'. It is a combination of 'dis-' (apart) and 'regere' (to rule or guide).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: directFrench: diriger

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'dirigen' mean 'you all'?

Yes! In Spain, you use 'dirigís' for 'you all' (informal), but in Latin America, 'dirigen' is used for 'you all' in every situation.

Is 'dirigen' used for physical directions?

Yes, but usually we use 'dirigirse' (to head towards). For example: 'Ellos se dirigen al norte' (They are heading north).