sonreír
sohn-ray-EER
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ella siempre sonríe cuando me ve.
A1She always smiles when she sees me.
¿Por qué no sonreíste en la foto?
A2Why didn't you smile in the picture?
El bebé está sonriendo mientras duerme.
A2The baby is smiling while sleeping.
💡 Grammar Points
The Accent is Essential
In the present tense, you must place an accent on the 'i' (sonrío, sonríes, sonríe, sonríen). This separates the vowels and ensures you pronounce the 'ee' sound strongly, making it an irregular verb.
The Hidden 'E' to 'I' Change
In the third-person preterite (past tense) and the subjunctive forms, the 'e' in the stem changes to an 'i' (e.g., él sonrió, nosotros sonriamos). This is a common pattern for many -ir verbs.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Accent
Mistake: "Yo sonrio (missing accent)"
Correction: Yo sonrío. Without the accent, the word looks regular, but sounds wrong. The accent is mandatory for this verb.
Incorrect Gerund
Mistake: "El está sonreiendo."
Correction: El está sonriendo. When forming the continuous action (-ing form), the 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' (sonriendo).
⭐ Usage Tips
Smiling vs. Laughing
Remember that 'sonreír' is only 'to smile' (a quiet expression). If you want to say 'to laugh' (with sound), use the related verb 'reír'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sonreír
Question 1 of 2
Which form of 'sonreír' correctly completes the sentence: 'Yo siempre ______ cuando recuerdo ese viaje.'
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'sonreír' a reflexive verb? Do I use 'me sonrío'?
'Sonreír' is generally NOT reflexive. You simply say 'Yo sonrío' (I smile). The reflexive form ('me sonrío') is only used in very specific, regional contexts or to emphasize the action being done to oneself, but stick to the non-reflexive form for 99% of conversations.
What is the difference between 'sonreír' and 'reír'?
'Sonreír' means to smile (a quiet expression of happiness). 'Reír' means to laugh (an audible, often loud expression of happiness).