vestir
“vestir” means “to dress” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to dress, to clothe
Also: to attire
📝 In Action
La niñera tiene que vestir a los gemelos antes de las ocho.
A1The nanny has to dress the twins before eight o'clock.
Mi abuela me vistió para mi primera comunión.
A2My grandmother dressed me for my first communion.
to get dressed, to dress oneself
Also: to put on one's clothes
📝 In Action
Me visto rápidamente todas las mañanas para ir al trabajo.
A1I get dressed quickly every morning to go to work.
Mi hijo ya puede vestirse solo, no necesita ayuda.
A2My son can already dress himself, he doesn't need help.
¿A qué hora te vas a vestir para la fiesta?
B1What time are you going to get dressed for the party?
to wear, to drape
Also: to dress (in a uniform)
📝 In Action
Todos los estudiantes visten de azul marino.
B1All the students wear navy blue (uniforms).
La sala estaba vestida de flores blancas para la boda.
B2The room was draped/decorated with white flowers for the wedding.
Ese actor siempre viste ropa de diseñador.
B1That actor always wears designer clothes.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
preterite
present
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vestir
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive form of 'vestir' (vestirse)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The Spanish word comes directly from the Latin verb *vestīre*, which meant 'to clothe' or 'to cover.' It shares its root with English words like 'vest' and 'vestment.'
First recorded: Before the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'vestir' and 'llevar' when talking about clothes?
'Vestir' means 'to dress' (the action of putting clothes on someone else) or 'to dress in a certain style.' 'Llevar' is the standard verb for 'to wear' a specific item of clothing or accessory (e.g., 'Llevo un sombrero' — I am wearing a hat).
Why does the 'nosotros' form not change its stem (e.g., vestimos, not vistimos)?
In Spanish stem-changing verbs, the 'we' (nosotros) and 'you all' (vosotros) forms usually skip the irregular change. This is because the stress of the word falls outside of the verb stem in those two forms.