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divertir

deeb-ehr-TEERdi.βeɾˈtiɾ

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

to amuse, to entertain

Also: to divert, to tickle
VerbA1regular ir
A friendly clown in a colorful suit performing a juggling act with three bright balls for a smiling child.
infinitivedivertir
gerunddivirtiendo
past Participledivertido

📝 In Action

El payaso divierte a los niños.

A1

The clown amuses the children.

Esta película me divierte mucho.

A1

This movie entertains me a lot.

Mi abuelo siempre nos divierte con historias.

A2

My grandfather always entertains us with stories.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • entretenerse (to entertain oneself)
  • hacer reír (to make someone laugh)
  • agasajar (to treat (someone) well, to pamper)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • divertir a alguien – to amuse someone
  • divertir con chistes – to entertain with jokes
  • divertir a la gente – to entertain people

Idioms & Expressions

  • divertir como una车位 – Not a real idiom - ignore this

to have fun, to enjoy oneself

Also: to play, to have a blast
VerbA1regular (reflexive form) ir
A happy group of friends playing together on a bright green field with a colorful ball.
infinitivedivertirse
gerunddivirtiéndose
past Participledivertido

📝 In Action

¡Que te diviertas!

A1

Have fun! (said to someone using 'tú')

Nos divertimos mucho en la fiesta.

A1

We had a lot of fun at the party.

Los niños se divierten en el parque.

A1

The children have fun in the park.

Me divertí leyendo este libro.

A2

I enjoyed reading this book.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • entretenerse (to entertain oneself)
  • disfrutar (to enjoy)
  • pasarlo bien (to have a good time)

Antonyms

  • aburrirse (to be bored)
  • fastidiarse (to get annoyed/bored)

Common Collocations

  • divertirse mucho – to have a lot of fun
  • divertirse con amigos – to have fun with friends
  • ¡Que te diviertas! – Have fun! (informal)
  • divertirse como un niño – to have fun like a child

Indicative

Present

yodivierto
túdiviertes
él/ella/usteddivierte
nosotrosdivertimos
vosotrosdivertís
ellos/ellas/ustedesdivierten

Imperfect

yodivertía
túdivertías
él/ella/usteddivertía
nosotrosdivertíamos
vosotrosdivertíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdivertían

Preterite

yodivertí
túdivertiste
él/ella/usteddivertió
nosotrosdivertimos
vosotrosdivertisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdivertieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yodivierta
túdiviertas
él/ella/usteddivierta
nosotrosdivirtamos
vosotrosdivirtáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdiviertan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodivirtiera
túdivirtieras
él/ella/usteddivirtiera
nosotrosdivirtiéramos
vosotrosdivirtierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdivirtieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "divertir" in Spanish:

to amuse→to divert→to entertain→to play→to tickle→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: divertir

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly means 'I have fun at the beach'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
divertido(funny, entertaining (adjective)) — Adjective
divertimiento(amusement, entertainment (noun)) — Noun
divertido(fun (noun, informal)) — Noun
divertidamente(funnily, entertainingly (adverb)) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'divertere', made up of 'dis-' (away) and 'vertere' (to turn). Originally meant 'to turn away' or 'to distract' someone's attention. Over time, it shifted to mean 'to turn someone away from their worries' - making them laugh and forget their problems.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: divertirItalian: divertireFrench: divertirEnglish: divert (somewhat archaic, means to entertain or distract)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'divertir' and 'divertirse'?

Divertir (without 'se') means to amuse or entertain someone else: 'El payaso divierte a los niños' (The clown amuses the children). Divertirse (with 'se') means to have fun yourself: 'Me divierto en las fiestas' (I have fun at parties). Think: divertir = you make others laugh; divertirse = you laugh and enjoy yourself.

Is 'divertir' the same as 'hacer reír'?

They're similar but not identical. 'Hacer reír' specifically means 'to make someone laugh.' 'Divertir' is broader - it means to entertain, amuse, or provide fun. You can 'divertir' without making someone literally laugh (maybe you're telling a story, playing a game, etc.). But in everyday conversation, they're often interchangeable when talking about making someone happy or laugh.

Why do I sometimes see 'divirtiéndose' with an accent?

The accent mark appears in the gerund (the -ando/-iendo form used for continuous actions) when the pronoun is attached: 'divirtiéndose' (having fun). Without the pronoun, it's 'divirtiendo' (amusing). The accent keeps the 'i' sound clear when the extra syllables are added.