convertir
/kombeɾˈtiɾ/
The English phrase "convert" is translated into Spanish as convertir.
convertir means to transform (something) into another form, substance, state or product.
Meaning: transform (something) into another form, substance, state, or product (verb)
Which one should you use?
The transitive form convertir is used when an external agent changes something else. In contrast, the reflexive form convertirse is used when the subject undergoes the change themselves.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing the transformation of one thing into another (e.g., turning water into ice), the preposition en is used after the verb (convertir en). When converting a person to a new religion or belief system, the preposition a is used to introduce the object or the target belief (convertir a). When expressing that a person changes their religion or belief, the reflexive form convertirse is used instead of the non-reflexive convertir.
How do you pronounce it?
/kombeɾˈtiɾ/
Did you know?
- While convertir describes a transformation, Spanish speakers often use the phrase volverse to describe a personality change, such as someone becoming 'crazy' or 'angry'.
- The reflexive convertirse is used in Spanish to describe the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, whereas English uses 'turn into' or 'become'.
- In Spanish, the verb convertir is an irregular stem-changing verb, where the 'e' in the root changes to an 'i' in several tenses, such as convirtió for the past tense.
Examples in context
- Yanni dijo que se iba a convertir al islam.Yanni said he was going to convert to Islam.This sentence is useful for seeing how someone uses convertir regarding a change in religion.Tatoeba #13416909 by Seael, translation #9959290 by Amastan
- Tom ayudó a muchos musulmanes a convertirse al cristianismo.Tom helped many Muslims convert to Christianity.This sentence shows how to use convertirse to describe helping others change their religion.Tatoeba #6881409 by diegohn, translation #6634247 by Reonaato
- A ella le gustaban los hombres gordos, por lo tanto, decidió convertirse al budismo.She loved fat men, so she decided to convert to Buddhism.This sentence illustrates the use of convertirse when a person decides to change their belief system.Tatoeba #1004865 by Shishir, translation #487937 by MUIRIEL
- Necesitamos convertir el archivo en formato PDFWe need to convert the file into a PDF format
- Necesitamos cambiar dólares a eurosWe need to convert dollars to euros
- Estamos intentando transformar nuestro modelo de negocio tradicional en uno digitalWe are trying to convert our traditional business model into a digital one
- Logró volverlo un gran fanático de la música salsaShe managed to convert him into a huge fan of salsa music
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing a digital project at home.
- DanielMaría, ¿puedes ayudarme a convertir este documento?María, can you help me convert this document?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, ¿a qué formato lo quieres convertir?Yes, Daniel, what format do you want to convert it to?
- DanielNecesito convertirlo a un archivo de texto simple.I need to convert it to a simple text file.
- MaríaNo hay problema, yo lo hago ahora mismo.No problem, I will do it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “convert” translations and entries convertir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
