murieron
“murieron” means “they died” in Spanish (Referring to a group of people or things that finished their life.).
they died, you died
Also: they passed away
📝 In Action
Los tres animales murieron de sed en el desierto.
A2The three animals died of thirst in the desert.
Mis abuelos murieron hace muchos años, pero los recuerdo bien.
B1My grandparents died many years ago, but I remember them well.
Cuando las flores murieron, supimos que el invierno había llegado.
B2When the flowers died, we knew that winter had arrived.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: murieron
Question 1 of 2
Which Spanish verb is 'murieron' a form of?
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📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'morir' comes directly from the Latin word *morīrī*, which meant 'to die'. Spanish kept the core meaning and adapted the sound over centuries. The irregular stem change in the past tense (o to u) developed later in Spanish and is a distinctive feature.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 10th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'murieron' have a 'u' but the infinitive 'morir' has an 'o'?
'Morir' is an irregular verb. In the simple past tense (preterite), the 'o' changes to a 'u' only for the third-person forms ('murió' and 'murieron'). This is a special pattern you just have to memorize for stem-changing -ir verbs.
Does 'murieron' refer to people, animals, or things?
It can refer to all three! Just like in English, 'they died' can apply to people ('Mis tíos murieron'), animals ('Los pájaros murieron'), or even abstract concepts ('Las esperanzas murieron').