respirar
/res-pee-RAR/
to breathe
Respirar means the physical act of inhaling and exhaling air, or 'to breathe.'
respirar(verb)
to breathe
?physical act of inhaling and exhaling
to take a breath
?a single action
📝 In Action
Necesito salir; no puedo respirar bien en esta habitación.
A1I need to go outside; I can't breathe well in this room.
El doctor le dijo que respire profundamente.
A2The doctor told him to breathe deeply.
El bebé respira tranquilamente mientras duerme.
A1The baby is breathing calmly while sleeping.
💡 Grammar Points
A Regular Verb
Respirar is a perfectly regular verb, which means it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to talk), you know 'respirar'!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'respirar' and 'alentar'
Mistake: "Using 'alentar' when you mean 'to breathe'."
Correction: 'Alentar' means 'to encourage' or 'to cheer on.' Always use 'respirar' for the physical act of breathing.
When used figuratively, respirar can mean 'to take a break' or to pause and rest from effort.
respirar(verb)
to take a break
?to rest or pause from effort
,to get a breather
?to feel relieved
to have a moment of peace
?relief from stress
📝 In Action
Después de tres horas de trabajo, por fin podemos respirar un poco.
B1After three hours of work, we can finally take a break for a bit.
La crisis ha sido terrible, pero ahora la empresa empieza a respirar.
B2The crisis has been terrible, but now the company is starting to get a breather (recover).
Necesito respirar antes de tomar una decisión tan importante.
B1I need to pause (and think) before making such an important decision.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
When used figuratively, 'respirar' often means 'to recover' or 'to gain relief.' It emphasizes the feeling of finally being able to relax after a stressful period.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'un poco'
It’s very common to pair this figurative meaning with 'un poco' (a little bit) to mean 'to take a small break' or 'to catch one's breath': 'Necesito respirar un poco'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: respirar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'respirar' in its figurative meaning ('to take a break/recover')?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'respirar' reflexive (like 'respirarse')?
No, 'respirar' is almost always used as a regular, non-reflexive verb. You simply say 'Yo respiro' (I breathe). You do not need the extra 'me' or 'se' unless you are talking about something that is breathable, but even then, it's rare.
How do I say 'to take a deep breath'?
The most common way is to use an adverb: 'respirar profundamente' (to breathe profoundly/deeply), or the common phrase 'respirar hondo' (to breathe deeply).