barrer
/baˈreɾ/
The Spanish verb barrer means to sweep or to sweep up.
barrer is used to describe the action of sweeping or sweeping up.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of barrer is barrido, which is used to form perfect tenses or to function as an adjective. You can also use the phrase barrer con la escoba to specifically indicate that you are sweeping with a broom.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈreɾ/
Did you know?
- A barrida in soccer refers to a slide tackle, where a player 'sweeps' the ball away from an opponent's feet.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the word barrido refers to a specific camera movement called a 'pan', where the lens 'sweeps' across a scene.
- The Spanish word for 'broom', escoba, is actually related to the concept of 'brushing', but the verb barrer relies on a completely different Latin lineage.
Examples in context
- Nuestro equipo de limpieza realiza el barrido del suelo de manera meticulosa.Our cleaning team performs the sweeping of the floor meticulously.
- Estoy barriendo la cocina.I am sweeping the kitchen.
- Tengo que barrer la cocina ahora.I have to sweep the kitchen now.
- ¿Puedes barrer el suelo, por favor?Can you sweep the floor, please?
- Ella va a barrer la terraza hoy.She is going to sweep the terrace today.
Example conversation
A couple is cleaning their apartment on a Saturday morning.
- DanielMaría, ¿podrías barrer la sala?María, could you sweep the living room?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, voy a barrer ahora mismo.Yes, Daniel, I am going to sweep right now.
- DanielGracias, después yo voy a barrer el patio.Thanks, afterwards I will sweep the patio.
- MaríaPerfecto, así terminamos rápido la limpieza.Perfect, that way we finish the cleaning quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry barrer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
