Regular -IR verb

describir
to describe

Describir is a regular -ir verb in Spanish.

Practice describir free →

Describir conjugation in Spanish

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

Meaningto describe
Verb type-ir verb
Regular / IrregularRegular
CEFR levelA2

Describir — conjugation tables

Describir (to describe) is a regular -ir verb.

Indicative
Presente guide →
yodescribo
describes
éldescribe
nosdescribimos
vosdescribís
ellosdescriben
Pretérito Indefinido guide →
yodescribí
describiste
éldescribió
nosdescribimos
vosdescribisteis
ellosdescribieron
Pretérito Imperfecto guide →
yodescribía
describías
éldescribía
nosdescribíamos
vosdescribíais
ellosdescribían
Futuro guide →
yodescribiré
describirás
éldescribirá
nosdescribiremos
vosdescribiréis
ellosdescribirán
Condicional guide →
yodescribiría
describirías
éldescribiría
nosdescribiríamos
vosdescribiríais
ellosdescribirían
Pretérito Perfecto guide →
yohe describido
has describido
élha describido
noshemos describido
voshabéis describido
elloshan describido
Pluscuamperfecto guide →
yohabía describido
habías describido
élhabía describido
noshabíamos describido
voshabíais describido
elloshabían describido
Futuro Compuesto guide →
yohabré describido
habrás describido
élhabrá describido
noshabremos describido
voshabréis describido
elloshabrán describido
Presente Progresivo guide →
yoestoy describiendo
estás describiendo
élestá describiendo
nosestamos describiendo
vosestáis describiendo
ellosestán describiendo
Subjunctive
Pres. Subjuntivo guide →
yodescriba
describas
éldescriba
nosdescribamos
vosdescribáis
ellosdescriban
Imperf. Subjuntivo guide →
yodescribiera
describieras
éldescribiera
nosdescribiéramos
vosdescribierais
ellosdescribieran
Imperative
Imperativo guide →
yo
describe
éldescriba
nosdescribamos
vosdescribid
ellosdescriban

Example sentences with describir

Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.

1.
describo.
I describe.
2.
¿Describes?
Do you describe?
3.
Describió ayer.
He/she described yesterday.
4.
No describo mucho.
I don't describe much.
5.
Siempre describen juntos.
They always describe together.

How to use describir

Describing people

Describe a tu familia (describe your family).

Describing places

Describo mi ciudad (I describe my city).

Perfect tense

Irregular participle: he descrito.

Exam instruction

A verb you both follow and use in tasks.

Common phrases using describir

Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.

describir + infinitivoto to describe + another verb
no describoI don't to describe
¿Describes?question form

Idiomatic expressions

a grandes rasgosin broad terms
difícil de describirhard to describe

Common mistakes with describir

Describir is a regular verb. Make sure you know the endings for each tense — especially the preterite and subjunctive, which is where marks are most often lost.

Grammar notes

describir is a regular -ir verb — it follows the standard -ir pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know describir, you know the template for all regular -ir verbs.

Practice describir — free

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 →

Quick quiz — describir

Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.

nosotros (Presente)
nosotros (Futuro)
ellos / ellas (Futuro)

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate describir in the present tense?

yo: describo, tú: describes, él: describe, nosotros: describimos, vosotros: describís, ellos: describen

Is describir a regular or irregular verb?

Describir is a regular -ir verb following the standard -ir pattern.

How do you use describir in a GCSE Spanish essay?

Use describir in multiple tenses to show range — present, preterite and future at minimum. This is a key criterion for higher GCSE marks.

Similar verbs to describir

Verbs that are easy to confuse with describir or that behave like it.

escribirto write — same irregular participle pattern (escrito/descrito).
explicarto explain — describing how or why.
contarto tell / recount — describing events.

Related verbs

hablar caminar trabajar escuchar

This reference is written for UK GCSE and A-Level Spanish learners and their teachers. It is designed for exam revision: every form is checked against standard conjugation rules, and the examples reflect the registers and topics that come up in the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas specifications. Describir is a high-frequency verb and appears often in exam papers. For active recall, use the free practice tool rather than only reading the tables.