huir
/ˈw̝iɾ/
To flee in Spanish is to say huir. Wiktionary also lists barajustar and jullirse.
Meaning: (intransitive) to run away, to escape (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| huir | /ˈw̝iɾ/ /uˈiɾ/ |
|
| barajustar | /baɾaxusˈtaɾ/ | |
| jullirse | /xuʝiɾse/ (from spelling rules) | Puerto Rico |
The verb means to run away or to escape. You can also use the word escapar to mean flee. When you are fleeing a person or a place, you should typically follow the verb huir with the preposition de, as in huir de.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Puerto Rico, the word jullirse is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form (fleeing) is huyendo and the present subjunctive form is huya. The third-person singular preterite form (he/she/it fled) is huyó. In voseo, the negative conjugation for 'you do not flee' is Vos no huís.
Did you know?
- The English word 'fugitive' and the Spanish verb huir share the same ancient ancestor, the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰewg-, which originally meant to move quickly or to flee.
- The term barajustar is a variation of barahustar, which is more commonly used to describe a state of chaos or a confused crowd rather than the literal act of fleeing.
- Spanish speakers often use the phrase salir corriendo, meaning 'to leave running', to describe fleeing in a more casual or everyday context.
Examples in context
- ¿A dónde ha uno de huir? ¿Dónde deberé ir a morar?Whither shall one flee? Where shall I go and abide?Tatoeba #7783050 by Eremon, translation #5095100 by mhenderson5
- Debemos huir de la ciudad.We must flee the city.Tatoeba #11553960 by janTuki, translation #9181387 by ankipedia
- El criminal escapó del lugar del crimen antes de que la policía llegara.The criminal fled the crime scene before the police arrived.
- Muchos refugiados han tenido que huir de su país por motivos políticos.Many refugees have had to flee their country for political reasons.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about a stray dog in the park.
- SofíaEse perro intentó huir de la zona.That dog tried to flee from the area.
- Javier¿Viste cómo intentó huir de nosotros?Did you see how he tried to flee from us?
- SofíaSí, parece que tiene mucho miedo.Yes, he seems to be very afraid.
- JavierEs mejor dejarlo tranquilo.It is better to leave him alone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “flee” translations and entries huir, barajustar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barajustar, huir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
