Describir is a regular -ir verb in Spanish with one irregular form: its past participle, descrito.
Practice describir free →Describir means 'to describe', and it is a regular -ir verb with the same irregular past participle pattern as escribir: descrito ('described'), so 'I have described' is he descrito. Describe a tu familia (describe your family) is a classic exam instruction, which is exactly why this verb is worth knowing well — you both follow it and use it. Because describing people, places and experiences is central to writing and speaking, describir is genuinely high-value. Apart from the irregular participle, it follows the standard -ir pattern across tenses.
Quick facts
Describir (to describe) is an irregular -ir verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Describe a tu familia (describe your family).
Describo mi ciudad (I describe my city).
Irregular participle: he descrito.
A verb you both follow and use in tasks.
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
Irregular past participle: descrito, not *describido — the same pattern as escribir → escrito.
Irregular past participle — same as in the present perfect: había descrito.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice describir now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: describo, tú: describes, él: describe, nosotros: describimos, vosotros: describís, ellos: describen
Describir follows the regular -ir pattern in every simple tense. Only its past participle is irregular: descrito.
The past participle is descrito (he descrito) and the gerund is describiendo (estoy describiendo).
Verbs that are easy to confuse with describir or that behave like it.
Describir is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.