refiero
“refiero” means “I refer (to)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
I refer (to), I mean
Also: I am talking about
📝 In Action
No te refieres al coche rojo, ¿verdad? Yo me refiero al azul.
A2You're not referring to the red car, are you? I mean the blue one.
Cuando digo 'el director', me refiero al señor López.
B1When I say 'the director,' I mean Mr. López.
Si no entiendes la palabra, refiero la pregunta al profesor.
B2If you don't understand the word, I refer the question to the teacher.
I recount, I relate
Also: I report
📝 In Action
Yo refiero la historia tal y como me la contaron.
B2I recount the story exactly as they told it to me.
El periodista dijo: 'Refiero los hechos sin añadir opiniones'.
C1The journalist said, 'I report the facts without adding opinions.'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: refiero
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'refiero' in its most common conversational context?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *referre*, which meant 'to carry back' or 'to report.' This neatly explains both the modern meanings: carrying a story back (recounting) and carrying attention back (referring to something).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I almost always hear 'me refiero' instead of just 'refiero'?
When 'referir' means 'to mention' or 'to mean' something specific, it almost always acts reflexively in Spanish, becoming 'referirse.' The 'me' tells the listener that the speaker is directing their own attention (or referring themselves) to a specific topic.
If I am asking someone what they mean, how should I phrase it?
You would use the 'tú' form of the reflexive verb: '¿A qué te refieres?' (What are you referring to?/What do you mean?). Remember the crucial 'a'!