murieron
moo-ree-EHR-ohn
Quick Reference
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Preterite Tense
This verb form describes actions that started and finished completely in the past, like a specific event on a timeline.
Irregularity Tip (O > U)
The verb 'morir' (and 'dormir') changes its 'o' to a 'u' only in the third-person forms of the preterite: 'murió' (he died) and 'murieron' (they died). This is a common pattern for -ir stem-changing verbs.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Usando 'morían' cuando se necesita 'murieron'."
Correction: Use 'murieron' (preterite) for a single, completed event (e.g., 'They died last night'). Use 'morían' (imperfect) for talking about how they used to die, or the circumstances surrounding their death (e.g., 'They were dying slowly').
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal 'You' Plural
'Murieron' can mean 'they died' (ellos/ellas) or 'you all died' (ustedes). The context or the use of the pronoun clarifies which one is meant.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: murieron
Question 1 of 2
Which Spanish verb is 'murieron' a form of?
📚 More Resources
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').