Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to smile" in Spanish: sonreír
sonreír
To smile in Spanish is sonreír. Say yo sonrío and ella sonríe. A warm smile softens greetings and photos.
Photo
Sonríe un poco para la foto.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce sonreír
Say it
sohn-reh-EER / sohn-REE-oh
/son.ɾe.ˈiɾ/
sohn-reh-EER. Yo sonrío is sohn-REE-oh. Stress the EE.
"to smile" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| sonreír | to smile Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| yo sonrío | I smile Present first person. | Present first person. |
| ella sonríe | she smiles Third person. | Third person. |
| sonríe, por favor | smile, please Polite photo ask. | Polite photo ask. |
| sonriendo | smiling Gerund. | Gerund. |
How to use sonreír in real life
- 1Photo
Sonríe un poco para la foto.
Smile a bit for the photo.
Sonríe is the polite command.
- 2Good news
Yo sonrío cuando llega un mensaje bueno.
I smile when a good message arrives.
Yo sonrío.
- 3Kind face
Ella siempre sonríe al saludar.
She always smiles when greeting.
Sonríe for he or she.
Mistakes English speakers make with sonreír
Incorrect: Yo sonreo mucho.
Correct: Yo sonrío mucho.
Write sonrío with í, not sonreo.
Incorrect: Ella sonreír siempre.
Correct: Ella sonríe siempre.
Conjugate: ella sonríe.
Good to know
Good to knowPhotos often use ¡Sonríe! or ¡Sonrían! with ustedes. Sonreír feels warm in service and family greetings. Keep it natural, not forced.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Taking a group photo
ChatPal
¿Sonríes un segundo?
Will you smile for a second?
You
Sí. Yo sonrío. ¿Listo?
Yes. I'm smiling. Ready?
ChatPal
Perfecto. Ella también sonríe.
Perfect. She's smiling too.
You
Otra foto, más cerca.
Another photo, closer.
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 smile" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to smile" in Spanish
How do I say I smile?
Yo sonrío.
How do I say she smiles?
Ella sonríe.
Smile for the photo?
¡Sonríe! or ¡Sonrían! for ustedes.
How do you pronounce sonreír?
sohn-reh-EER, stress on EER.
Use these words in a conversation
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