referir
/refeˈɾiɾ/
To refer in Spanish is referir.
The verb is used to direct attention to a specific person or subject. When you want to say 'to refer to something or someone', you must use the reflexive form referirse a.
Meaning: to direct the attention of (verb)
Which one should you use?
The non-reflexive form referir is often used in formal contexts to mean 'to relate' or 'to narrate' a story or a series of events. In contrast, referirse a is used when you are directing attention to a subject.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, the verb enviar can be employed to convey the concept of 'referring' someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
Referir is a third-conjugation verb (-ir). When expressing 'to refer to' something, use the reflexive form referirse followed by the preposition a. For the past tense, refirió is a standard way to express 'he/she referred'.
How do you pronounce it?
/refeˈɾiɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb referir shares a common ancestor with the English word 'bear', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰer- meaning 'to carry'.
- In medical or professional settings, Spanish speakers may use referir to describe a symptom that a patient reports, rather than a doctor diagnosing it.
Examples in context
- El ministro de energía se referirá al apagón de ayer.The Minister of Energy will refer to yesterday's blackout.This sentence shows the use of referir regarding a person's statement.Tatoeba #1128776 by marcelostockle, translation #1128780 by marcelostockle
- ¿Cuáles son los pronombres relativos para referirse a personas del género neutro?What are the gender-neutral relative pronouns to refer to people?This sentence illustrates how to use referirse a when discussing pronouns.Tatoeba #9932479 by Shishir, translation #10179132 by DJ_Saidez
- A lo mejor soy disléxico o algo, pero cuando hablo inglés o español, confundo los pronombres. Por ejemplo, en español uso un artículo masculino con un sustantivo femenino, o en inglés uso "él" para referirme a mi hermana, o "ella" para referirme a mi papá. No lo hago a propósito, solo sucede.Maybe I'm dyslexic or something, but when speaking English or Spanish, I keep mixing up pronouns. For example, I'd use a male article for a female noun in Spanish, or in English I'd refer to my sister as "he" and my dad as "she". It's not intentional, but it just happens.This sentence uses the reflexive form to describe referring to family members.Tatoeba #10597005 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10597001 by DJ_Saidez
- Me gustaría referirte al especialista.I would like to refer you to the specialist.
- El médico me remitió a un cardiólogo.The doctor referred me to a cardiologist.
- Mi amiga me recomendó un buen restaurante en el centro.My friend referred me to a great restaurant downtown.
- El pediatra me derivó a un especialista en alergias.The pediatrician referred me to an allergy specialist.
- El profesor me envió a la biblioteca para investigar más sobre el tema.The teacher referred me to the library to research more about the topic.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are discussing a specific part of a legal document.
- María¿A qué párrafo te vas a referir?Which paragraph are you going to refer to?
- AlejandroMe voy a referir a la cláusula de rescisión.I am going to refer to the termination clause.
- MaríaEsa sección es muy importante para nosotros.That section is very important for us.
- AlejandroSí, es el punto clave del contrato.Yes, it is the key point of the contract.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry referir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries referir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
