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gruñir

groon-yeer/ɡɾuˈɲiɾ/

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

to growl

Also: to grunt, to snarl
VerbA2spelling-change ir
A small dog with its teeth slightly bared and its fur bristled, looking tough.
gerundgruñendo
past Participlegruñido
infinitivegruñir

📝 In Action

El perro me gruñó cuando me acerqué a su comida.

A2

The dog growled at me when I got close to his food.

Los cerdos gruñen alegremente en el barro.

A1

The pigs grunt happily in the mud.

Escuché a un animal gruñir entre los arbustos.

B1

I heard an animal growling in the bushes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • bufar (to snort/hiss)

Antonyms

  • ronronear (to purr)

Common Collocations

  • oír gruñir – to hear growling
  • empezar a gruñir – to start growling

to grumble

Also: to moan, to gripe
VerbB1spelling-change irinformal
A person with a furrowed brow and a frowning mouth, looking down and muttering.
gerundgruñendo
past Participlegruñido
infinitivegruñir

📝 In Action

Mi abuelo siempre gruñe cuando tiene que levantarse temprano.

B1

My grandfather always grumbles when he has to get up early.

Deja de gruñir y ayúdame con la limpieza.

B1

Stop grumbling and help me with the cleaning.

Entró en la habitación gruñendo algo sobre el tráfico.

B2

He came into the room muttering something about the traffic.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • refunfuñar (to grumble/mutter)
  • quejarse (to complain)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • gruñir entre dientes – to mutter under one's breath
  • vivir gruñendo – to live life grumbling/complaining

Idioms & Expressions

  • el estómago me gruñe – used when you are very hungry and your stomach makes noise

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesgruñeran
yogruñera
túgruñeras
vosotrosgruñerais
nosotrosgruñéramos
él/ella/ustedgruñera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesgruñan
yogruña
túgruñas
vosotrosgruñáis
nosotrosgruñamos
él/ella/ustedgruña

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesgruñeron
yogruñí
túgruñiste
vosotrosgruñisteis
nosotrosgruñimos
él/ella/ustedgruñó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesgruñían
yogruñía
túgruñías
vosotrosgruñíais
nosotrosgruñíamos
él/ella/ustedgruñía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesgruñen
yogruño
túgruñes
vosotrosgruñís
nosotrosgruñimos
él/ella/ustedgruñe
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "gruñir" in Spanish:

to gripe→to growl→to grumble→to grunt→to moan→to snarl→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: gruñir

Question 1 of 3

Which animal is most likely to 'gruñir'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
gruñido(a growl/grunt) — Noun
gruñón(grumpy/grumbler) — Adjective
gruñimiento(the act of growling) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
reñirteñirceñir
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'grunnire', which was used to imitate the sound of a pig.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: gruntFrench: grognerItalian: grugnire

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'gruñir' always negative?

Generally, yes. It implies anger in animals or a bad mood/complaining in humans.

What is the difference between 'gruñir' and 'refunfuñar'?

'Gruñir' is a broader term that includes animal sounds. 'Refunfuñar' is specifically for humans muttering or grumbling to themselves.

Does 'gruñir' have any irregular forms?

It is mostly regular, but it has a spelling change where the letter 'i' is removed when it follows an 'ñ' in certain past and command forms.