How to Say "to lead" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to lead” is “dirigir” — use 'dirigir' when you are in charge of a team, an orchestra, a project, or managing a conversation..
dirigir
/dee-ree-HEER//di.ɾiˈxiɾ/
Examples
El director dirige el coro con maestría.
The director leads the choir with mastery.
Ella dirige la orquesta sinfónica de la ciudad.
She directs the city's symphony orchestra.
Mi jefe dirige el departamento de marketing.
My boss manages the marketing department.
El presidente dirigió un mensaje a la nación anoche.
The president addressed a message to the nation last night.
The 'g' to 'j' Change
In the 'yo' form of the present tense, the spelling changes from 'dirigir' to 'dirijo'. This is only to keep the hard 'H' sound (like the Spanish 'j') that you hear in the infinitive.
Forgetting the spelling change
Mistake: “Yo dirigo.”
Correction: Yo dirijo. Remember the 'j' sound is crucial for the first-person present tense.
conducir
kon-doo-SEER/kon.duˈsiɾ/
Examples
El detective condujo la investigación hasta el final.
The detective led the investigation to the end.
El guardia condujo a los invitados a la sala principal.
The guard led the guests to the main hall.
Ella conduce las reuniones del equipo cada mañana.
She leads the team meetings every morning.
La policía está conduciendo la investigación sobre el caso.
The police are conducting the investigation into the case.
Dirigir vs. Conducir
Related Translations
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