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enviar

en-byar/emˈbjaɾ/

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

to send

Also: to dispatch, to mail
VerbA1irregular (stress shift) ar
A colorful storybook illustration of a human hand gently tossing a small brown sealed box through the air, symbolizing the act of sending an item.
infinitiveenviar
gerundenviando
past Participleenviado

📝 In Action

Necesito enviar este informe antes de las cinco de la tarde.

A1

I need to send this report before five in the afternoon.

¿Me puedes enviar la ubicación por WhatsApp?

A1

Can you send me the location via WhatsApp?

El presidente envió un mensaje de paz a la nación.

A2

The president sent a message of peace to the nation.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mandar (to send (informal))
  • remitir (to send, to remit (formal))

Common Collocations

  • enviar un email/mensaje – to send an email/message
  • enviar un paquete – to send a package

to dispatch

Also: to assign
VerbB1irregular (stress shift) arformal
A high quality simple storybook illustration of a single determined traveler wearing a backpack standing in front of a wide open arched doorway, looking forward as if starting a mission.
infinitiveenviar
gerundenviando
past Participleenviado

📝 In Action

La compañía envió a su mejor abogado a la corte de Nueva York.

B1

The company dispatched (sent) its best lawyer to the New York court.

El jefe de bomberos envió dos equipos adicionales al incendio.

B2

The fire chief sent (dispatched) two additional teams to the fire.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • destinar (to assign, to designate)

Common Collocations

  • enviar a alguien a una misión – to send someone on a mission

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedenvía
yoenvío
túenvías
ellos/ellas/ustedesenvían
nosotrosenviamos
vosotrosenviáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedenviaba
yoenviaba
túenviabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesenviaban
nosotrosenviábamos
vosotrosenviabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedenvió
yoenvié
túenviaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesenviaron
nosotrosenviamos
vosotrosenviasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedenvíe
yoenvíe
túenvíes
ellos/ellas/ustedesenvíen
nosotrosenviemos
vosotrosenviéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedenviara/enviase
yoenviara/enviase
túenviaras/enviases
ellos/ellas/ustedesenviaran/enviasen
nosotrosenviáramos/enviásemos
vosotrosenviarais/enviaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "enviar" in Spanish:

dispatch→to assign→to dispatch→to mail→to send→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: enviar

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses the present tense 'yo' form of 'enviar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
envío(shipping, dispatch, shipment (noun)) — Noun
remesa(remittance, money transfer (noun)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin verb *in-viare*, which literally means 'to put on the road' or 'to start a journey.' It is built from the prefix *in-* (in/into) and *via* (road/way).

First recorded: Around the 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: enviarItalian: inviare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'enviar' a stem-changing verb?

No, it is not a traditional 'shoe verb' like *dormir* or *pensar*. Instead, it has an **irregular stress shift** in the present tense (envío, envías, etc.). This means the stress moves to the 'i', which changes the vowel sound slightly and requires an accent mark, but it's not considered a typical stem change.

Is 'mandar' or 'enviar' better?

Both mean 'to send.' 'Enviar' is slightly more formal, official, or used for electronic communication. 'Mandar' is extremely common and often used interchangeably, especially in casual or spoken Spanish.