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interrumpir

een-teh-rroohm-peerinteˈrrumpiɾ

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

to interrupt

Also: to cut off, to butt in
VerbA2regular ir
A small child is eagerly telling a story, but an adult gently raises a hand to stop the child's speech, symbolizing an interruption.
infinitiveinterrumpir
gerundinterrumpiendo
past Participleinterrumpido

📝 In Action

Por favor, no me interrumpas cuando estoy dando instrucciones.

A2

Please, don't interrupt me when I am giving instructions.

Ella siempre interrumpe las reuniones con chistes.

B1

She always interrupts the meetings with jokes.

¿Puedo interrumpir un momento? Tengo una pregunta urgente.

A2

Can I interrupt for a moment? I have an urgent question.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • interrumpir la conversación – to interrupt the conversation
  • interrumpir el sueño – to interrupt sleep/a dream

to suspend, to stop

Also: to cut off, to break
VerbB1regular irneutral/formal
A construction site where a brick wall is half-finished. Tools are neatly stacked and unused next to the unfinished section, indicating the building process has been temporarily suspended.
infinitiveinterrumpir
gerundinterrumpiendo
past Participleinterrumpido

📝 In Action

La caída del sistema interrumpió la transmisión de datos.

B2

The system crash stopped the data transmission.

El gobierno decidió interrumpir las negociaciones de paz.

C1

The government decided to suspend the peace negotiations.

Tuvimos que interrumpir el rodaje de la película por falta de fondos.

B1

We had to halt the filming of the movie due to lack of funds.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • interrumpir el servicio – to interrupt the service
  • interrumpir la producción – to halt production

Indicative

Present

yointerrumpo
túinterrumpes
él/ella/ustedinterrumpe
nosotrosinterrumpimos
vosotrosinterrumpís
ellos/ellas/ustedesinterrumpen

Imperfect

yointerrumpía
túinterrumpías
él/ella/ustedinterrumpía
nosotrosinterrumpíamos
vosotrosinterrumpíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesinterrumpían

Preterite

yointerrumpí
túinterrumpiste
él/ella/ustedinterrumpió
nosotrosinterrumpimos
vosotrosinterrumpisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesinterrumpieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yointerrumpa
túinterrumpas
él/ella/ustedinterrumpa
nosotrosinterrumpamos
vosotrosinterrumpáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesinterrumpan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yointerrumpiera
túinterrumpieras
él/ella/ustedinterrumpiera
nosotrosinterrumpiéramos
vosotrosinterrumpierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesinterrumpieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "interrumpir" in Spanish:

to break→to interrupt→to stop→to suspend→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: interrumpir

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'interrumpir' in the sense of 'stopping a continuous process'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
interrupción(interruption, break) — Noun
interruptor(switch (device)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin verb *interrumpere*, which is formed by combining *inter-* (meaning 'between' or 'among') and *rumpere* (meaning 'to break'). So the original meaning is literally 'to break between' or 'to break into the middle of something.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: interruptFrench: interrompreItalian: interrompere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'interrumpir' mean the same thing as 'detener'?

They are similar, but not identical. 'Detener' usually means 'to stop' or 'to detain' completely (like stopping a car). 'Interrumpir' means to break into the middle of something, often implying the possibility of resuming the activity later (like stopping a meeting for a break).