How to Say "to laugh" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to laugh” is “reír” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ella siempre ríe cuando ve esa película.
She always laughs when she watches that movie.
¿Por qué estás riendo? Cuéntame el chiste.
Why are you laughing? Tell me the joke.
Los niños empezaron a reír a carcajadas.
The children started to laugh out loud.
The Stress Mark
The accent mark on the 'í' (río, ríes) is essential! It tells you to pronounce the 'i' and 'e' separately, emphasizing the 'i,' instead of blending them into one sound.
Stem Change in Subjunctive
In the special verb forms (like the subjunctive), the 'e' in the stem often changes to an 'i': 'reír' becomes 'riendo' (the -ing form) or 'ría' (the wish/command form).
Missing the Accent
Mistake: “Yo rio (pronounced as one syllable, 'ryo')”
Correction: Yo río (pronounced as two syllables, 'ree-oh'). Always include the accent to keep the two vowels separate!
Related Translations
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