referir
“referir” means “to refer” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to refer
Also: to send
📝 In Action
Mi médico me refirió a un cardiólogo.
B1My doctor referred me to a cardiologist.
El profesor nos refirió a la página diez del libro.
A2The teacher referred us to page ten of the book.
Siempre refieren a sus clientes a la oficina central.
B1They always refer their clients to the main office.
to mean, to refer to
📝 In Action
¿A qué te refieres?
A2What do you mean?
Me refiero a la película que vimos ayer.
B1I'm referring to the movie we saw yesterday.
Esta ley se refiere a los derechos de los niños.
B1This law refers to children's rights.
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Indicative
Present
Preterite
Imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: referir
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'What do you mean?' in Spanish?
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👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'referre,' which combines 're-' (again) and 'ferre' (to carry). It literally means 'to carry back' or report back information.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'referir' and 'significar'?
'Significar' is used for the literal definition of a word, while 'referirse' is used to talk about what a person means or what a text is talking about.
Is 'referir' formal?
When it means 'to tell a story,' it is quite formal. When used as 'referirse a' (to mean), it is used every day by everyone.
Does it always need the 'se' at the end?
No. You use 'referir' (no se) when you are sending someone to a doctor or source. You only use 'referirse' when you mean 'to talk about' or 'to mean'.