A person in a professional suit standing at the front of a large meeting table, gesturing toward a colorful project board while a team looks on.

dirijo

dee-REE-ho

verbB1irregular (spelling change) ir

I manage?running a business or project,I lead?guiding a group or team

Also:I direct?giving instructions or guiding movement,I address?speaking or writing to someone

Quick Reference

past Participledirigido

infinitivedirigir

gerunddirigiendo

📝 In Action

Yo dirijo el departamento de ventas.

I manage the sales department.

Dirijo mis esfuerzos a terminar el proyecto hoy.

I am directing my efforts toward finishing the project today.

Me dirijo a usted para pedirle un favor.

I am addressing you to ask a favor.

Word Connections

Synonyms

gestiono (I manage)
guío (I guide)
lidero (I lead)

Antonyms

obedezco (I obey)
sigo (I follow)

Common Collocations

dirijo la palabra – I speak to (someone)
me dirijo a – I am heading to / I am addressing

💡 Grammar Points

The G-to-J Spelling Switch

In Spanish, the letter 'g' sounds like an 'h' before 'e' or 'i', but like a hard 'g' (as in goat) before 'o'. To keep the raspy 'h' sound in the 'I' form, we swap the 'g' for a 'j'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Avoid the 'G' in Writing

Mistake: "Yo dirigo"

Correction: Yo dirijo. Remember to use a 'j' so it doesn't sound like 'dee-REE-go'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Heading somewhere?

Use 'me dirijo a' (I'm heading to) to sound more sophisticated than just saying 'voy a' (I'm going to).

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdirijan

vosotrosdirijáis

él/ella/usteddirija

nosotrosdirijamos

túdirijas

yodirija

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigieran

vosotrosdirigierais

él/ella/usteddirigiera

nosotrosdirigiéramos

túdirigieras

yodirigiera

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigieron

vosotrosdirigisteis

él/ella/usteddirigió

nosotrosdirigimos

túdirigiste

yodirigí

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigían

vosotrosdirigíais

él/ella/usteddirigía

nosotrosdirigíamos

túdirigías

yodirigía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdirigen

vosotrosdirigís

él/ella/usteddirige

nosotrosdirigimos

túdiriges

yodirijo

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: dirijo

Question 1 of 1

How do you correctly spell the 'I' form of the verb 'dirigir' in the present tense?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

director(director/manager) - noun

dirección(direction/address) - noun

directo(direct) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'dirijo' only mean leading a company?

No, it can also mean leading a team, directing a movie, guiding someone to a location, or even addressing a letter.