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mueven

MWEH-vehnˈmwe.βen

“mueven” means “move” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

move, shift

Also: stir
VerbA1irregular (stem-changing o > ue) er
Two large, colorful geometric blocks sliding across a smooth wooden floor, clearly in motion.
past Participlemovido
infinitivemover
gerundmoviendo

📝 In Action

Los trabajadores mueven las cajas pesadas al camión.

A1

The workers move the heavy boxes to the truck.

¿Por qué no se mueven? Tenemos prisa.

A2

Why aren't they moving? We are in a hurry.

Ustedes mueven la reunión a la tarde, ¿verdad?

B1

You (plural, formal) are moving the meeting to the afternoon, right?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • mover las piezas – to move the pieces (in a game)
  • mover la cabeza – to shake one's head

Idioms & Expressions

  • mover cielo y tierra – to do everything possible

motivate, influence

Also: stir up, drive
VerbB1irregular (stem-changing o > ue) er
An energetic cartoon character standing next to a hesitant character, pointing encouragingly toward the top of a steep, green hill, inspiring them to start climbing.
past Participlemovido
infinitivemover
gerundmoviendo

📝 In Action

Las injusticias sociales mueven a los ciudadanos a protestar.

B1

Social injustices motivate the citizens to protest.

Sus palabras siempre me mueven; son muy inspiradoras.

B2

Their words always move me; they are very inspiring.

Ellos mueven grandes cantidades de dinero en la bolsa.

C1

They move (manage/handle) large amounts of money on the stock market.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • mover voluntades – to sway wills/opinions
  • mover la economía – to drive the economy

Indicative

Present

yomuevo
túmueves
él/ella/ustedmueve
nosotrosmovemos
vosotrosmovéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmueven

Preterite

yomoví
túmoviste
él/ella/ustedmovió
nosotrosmovimos
vosotrosmovisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmovieron

Imperfect

yomovía
túmovías
él/ella/ustedmovía
nosotrosmovíamos
vosotrosmovíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesmovían

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yomueva
túmuevas
él/ella/ustedmueva
nosotrosmovamos
vosotrosmováis
ellos/ellas/ustedesmuevan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yomoviera
túmovieras
él/ella/ustedmoviera
nosotrosmoviéramos
vosotrosmovierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesmovieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "mueven" in Spanish:

drive→influence→motivate→shift→stir→stir up→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: mueven

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'mueven' in its figurative sense (to motivate)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
mover(to move (infinitive)) — Verb
movimiento(movement) — Noun
móvil(mobile / cell phone) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
lluevenvuelven
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *movēre*, meaning 'to move.' Spanish kept the core meaning of motion, but added figurative senses for emotional and influential movement over time.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-11th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: muovonoFrench: meuvent

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the base form of the verb 'mueven'?

The base form, or infinitive, is 'mover' (to move).

Why does the 'o' change to 'ue' in 'mueven'?

The verb 'mover' is an irregular verb with a stem change. When the verb is stressed in the present tense, the 'o' changes to 'ue'. This happens for all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.