escribir
“escribir” means “to write” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to write
Also: to type, to spell
📝 In Action
¿Puedes escribir tu nombre aquí?
A1Can you write your name here?
Estoy escribiendo un correo a mi jefe.
A1I'm writing an email to my boss.
Ayer escribí una lista de la compra.
A2Yesterday I wrote a shopping list.
¿Cómo se escribe 'biblioteca'?
A2How do you write/spell 'biblioteca'?
to compose
Also: to author
📝 In Action
Gabriel García Márquez escribió 'Cien años de soledad'.
B1Gabriel García Márquez wrote 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'.
Mi sueño es escribir una canción para una película.
B1My dream is to compose a song for a movie.
El periodista escribió un artículo sobre el cambio climático.
B2The journalist wrote an article about climate change.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: escribir
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'escribir' to mean 'to compose' a creative work?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'scrībere', which meant 'to write' or 'to draw'. It's like the ancestor of many writing-related words in different languages.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see 'he escrito' and not 'he escribido'? I thought the ending was '-ido' for '-ir' verbs.
That's a great observation! While most '-ir' verbs do use '-ido' for their past form (like 'vivido' from 'vivir'), 'escribir' is one of a handful of special, irregular verbs. Its past form is always 'escrito'. You just have to memorize this one, but luckily there aren't many like it!
Is there a difference between 'escribir' and 'redactar'?
'Escribir' is the general, all-purpose word for 'to write'. 'Redactar' is a bit more formal and is often used for drafting official documents, emails, or reports. Think of it as 'to draft' or 'to compose text carefully'. For everyday use, 'escribir' is always a safe bet.