muriendo

/moo-ree-EN-doh/

dying

A small, elderly bluebird resting peacefully on a green mossy branch with its eyes gently closed, illustrating the process of ending life.

The little bird is peacefully settling down, illustrating the concept of 'muriendo' (dying).

muriendo(Gerund)

A2irregular (o-u stem change) ir

dying

ending life; in the process of death

Also:

fading

of a light or sound

going out

of a fire or flame

📝 In Action

El viejo roble se está muriendo lentamente.

The old oak tree is slowly dying.

Estuvo muriendo durante meses antes de que la enfermedad lo venciera.

He was dying for months before the illness overcame him.

Word Connections

Synonyms

expirando (expiring)
falleciendo (passing away)

Antonyms

naciendo (being born)
viviendo (living)

Common Collocations

está muriendo – is dying
se está muriendo – is dying (reflexive, often natural death)

💡 Grammar Points

Forming Continuous Tenses

The word 'muriendo' is used with a form of 'estar' (like 'estoy', 'estás', 'está') to show an action happening right now or continuously: 'Está muriendo' (He/She is dying).

Irregular Gerund

Unlike most '-ir' verbs that use '-iendo' (like 'vivir' -> 'viviendo'), the verb 'morir' changes its stem vowel from O to U, making it 'muriendo'.

A very thin, small brown rabbit sitting weakly on dry, cracked earth in a barren landscape, looking distressed and desperately needing food, illustrating starvation.

This weak rabbit, desperately needing sustenance, captures the meaning of 'muriendo' when used to mean starving.

muriendo(Gerund)

starving

dying of hunger/thirst

dying of

extreme emotion or laughter

📝 In Action

Llevo horas sin comer, ¡estoy muriendo de hambre!

I haven't eaten for hours, I'm starving (dying of hunger)!

Con esa película, estábamos muriendo de la risa.

With that movie, we were dying of laughter.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

muriendo de sueño – dying of sleepiness (very tired)
muriendo de frío – freezing (dying of cold)

⭐ Usage Tips

A Useful Exaggeration

Use 'muriendo de...' when you want to emphasize how strongly you feel something. It's the Spanish equivalent of saying 'I'm dying for a coffee' or 'I'm starving!'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: muriendo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'muriendo' to express an intense feeling, not physical death?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

morir(to die) - verb

muerte(death) - noun

moribundo(dying person/fading) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'muriendo' and not 'moriendo'?

'Morir' is an irregular verb. In many forms, including the gerund ('muriendo'), the 'o' in the stem changes to a 'u'. This is a common pattern for certain Spanish verbs.

Can I use 'muriendo' by itself without 'estar'?

Yes! You can use it like an adverb to describe how someone is doing something. For example, 'Salió corriendo y muriendo de la risa' (He left running and dying of laughter).