How to Say "they died" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they died” is “murieron” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Los tres animales murieron de sed en el desierto.
The three animals died of thirst in the desert.
Mis abuelos murieron hace muchos años, pero los recuerdo bien.
My grandparents died many years ago, but I remember them well.
Cuando las flores murieron, supimos que el invierno había llegado.
When the flowers died, we knew that winter had arrived.
Preterite Tense
This verb form describes actions that started and finished completely in the past, like a specific event on a timeline.
Irregularity Tip (O > U)
The verb 'morir' (and 'dormir') changes its 'o' to a 'u' only in the third-person forms of the preterite: 'murió' (he died) and 'murieron' (they died). This is a common pattern for -ir stem-changing verbs.
Confusing Past Tenses
Mistake: “Usando 'morían' cuando se necesita 'murieron'.”
Correction: Use 'murieron' (preterite) for a single, completed event (e.g., 'They died last night'). Use 'morían' (imperfect) for talking about how they used to die, or the circumstances surrounding their death (e.g., 'They were dying slowly').
Related Translations
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