Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to open" in Spanish: abrir
abrir
To open in Spanish is abrir. Say yo abro, ¿abre a las…?, and está abierto. Shops post Abierto / Cerrado on the door.
Window
Abre la ventana un poco. Hace calor.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce abrir
Say it
ah-BREER / AH-broh / ah-BYEHR-toh
/a.ˈβɾiɾ/
ah-BREER. Yo abro is AH-broh. Abierto is ah-BYEHR-toh.
"to open" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| abrir | to open Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| yo abro | I open First person. | First person. |
| abre | he/she/it opens; open! Present / informal command. | Present / informal command. |
| abierto / abierta | open Participle / adjective. | Participle / adjective. |
| abrí | I opened Simple past. | Simple past. |
How to use abrir in real life
- 1Window
Abre la ventana un poco. Hace calor.
Open the window a bit. It's hot.
Imperative abre.
- 2Shop hours
La panadería abre a las seis.
The bakery opens at six.
Abre for schedules.
- 3Package
Abro la caja con cuidado.
I open the box carefully.
Abro first person.
Mistakes English speakers make with abrir
Incorrect: Yo abrir la puerta ahora.
Correct: Yo abro la puerta ahora. / Voy a abrir la puerta.
Conjugate abrir: yo abro.
Incorrect: La tienda está abrido.
Correct: La tienda está abierta.
Participle agrees: abierto/abierta.
Good to know
Store signs say Abierto and Cerrado across Latin America. Abrir mano de means give something up—different idiom. On phones, abrir la app is everyday.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Arriving at a closed café
ChatPal
¿Abren solo a las nueve?
Do they only open at nine?
You
Creo que sí. El letrero dice “abre a las 9”.
I think so. The sign says “opens at 9”.
ChatPal
Entonces abro la app y pido delivery.
Then I open the app and order delivery.
You
Buena idea. Quiero un jugo frío.
Good idea. I want a cold juice.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to open" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to open" in Spanish
Key forms of abrir?
Yo abro, tú abres, abre, abrí, abierto/abierta.
What does the open sign say?
Abierto.
Open the door?
Abre la puerta / Abra la puerta (polite).
How do you pronounce abierto?
ah-BYEHR-toh — ie as one syllable.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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