mueren
/MWER-en/
they die
Mueren (they die) referring to the wilting flowers.
mueren(verb)
they die
?present action
,they are dying
?ongoing process
you die
?plural formal (ustedes)
📝 In Action
Las flores mueren en invierno si no las cuidas.
A1The flowers die in winter if you don't take care of them.
Dicen que mueren más personas por accidentes que por enfermedades.
A2They say that more people die from accidents than from illnesses.
Ustedes mueren de sed si siguen caminando bajo este sol.
B1You (formal plural) will die of thirst if you keep walking under this sun.
💡 Grammar Points
Stem-Changing Verb
The vowel 'o' in the stem of 'morir' changes to 'ue' in the present tense (mueren), except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms (morimos, morís).
Past Tense Vowel Change
Be careful in the past simple (preterite): the 'o' changes to 'u' in the third-person forms (murió, murieron). This is an extra irregularity!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "Ellos moran de miedo."
Correction: Ellos mueren de miedo. (Remember the o > ue change in the present tense for 'they'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'de'
When saying what someone dies from (thirst, hunger, fear), you almost always use the preposition 'de' (of): 'mueren de sed' (they die of thirst).
Mueren (they are dying) of laughter.
mueren(verb)
they are dying (of laughter/shame)
?intense emotion
,they are crazy about
?strong desire/craving
they are suffering intensely
?experiencing pain or shame
📝 In Action
Los niños mueren por ir al parque de diversiones.
B1The children are dying to go to the amusement park (they really want to go).
Mis amigos mueren de risa con tus chistes.
B1My friends are dying of laughter at your jokes.
Ellos mueren de vergüenza cuando tienen que hablar en público.
B2They are dying of shame when they have to speak in public.
💡 Grammar Points
Expressing Intense Desire
When 'morir' means 'to crave something,' it is often followed by the preposition 'por' (for): 'mueren por chocolate'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Literal Translation
Mistake: "They die for chocolate."
Correction: They are crazy about chocolate. (Understand that this is a highly emotional, non-literal usage.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with Emotions
This figurative use pairs perfectly with negative emotions like 'vergüenza' (shame), 'miedo' (fear), or 'celos' (jealousy) to show they are overwhelming.
Mueren (they go out) referring to the candles extinguishing.
mueren(verb)
they go out
?lights, fire
,they stop working
?engines, machines
they fade away
?memories, colors
📝 In Action
Las llamas mueren si no hay más oxígeno.
B2The flames go out if there is no more oxygen.
Los colores de la pintura mueren con el tiempo.
C1The colors of the painting fade away (die) over time.
💡 Grammar Points
Impersonal Subject
In this usage, the subject is usually an inanimate object (flames, colors, sounds) that is coming to an end or losing its strength.
⭐ Usage Tips
More Poetic Usage
While technically correct, using 'morir' for inanimate objects is often more poetic or dramatic than using simpler verbs like 'apagarse' (to turn off) or 'extinguirse' (to extinguish).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: mueren
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'mueren' in its figurative sense (meaning they really want something)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'mueren' irregular in the present tense?
'Mueren' comes from the verb 'morir,' which is irregular because the vowel 'o' in the middle of the verb changes to 'ue' when stressed. This happens to make the word sound more natural in Spanish, following a historical pattern called a 'stem change' that affects many common verbs.
How do I know if I should use 'mueren' or 'murieron'?
Use 'mueren' (present tense) to talk about something happening now, habitually, or soon (e.g., 'They die easily'). Use 'murieron' (past tense) to talk about an event that finished completely in the past (e.g., 'They died last week').