Meaning and Usage
The verb read in English means to look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed matter. It is an irregular verb with the same spelling in the present tense and the past participle, but different pronunciation.
Present Tense
In the present tense, read is pronounced /riːd/, and it is used to describe the action of reading happening now or regularly.
Past Tense
The past tense of read has the same spelling but is pronounced /rɛd/. It refers to the action of reading that happened in the past.
Past Participle
The past participle is also spelled read and pronounced /rɛd/. It is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses.
Conjugations
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | read | leo | I read a book every day. | Yo leo un libro todos los días. |
| You | read | lees | You read the instructions. | Tú lees las instrucciones. |
| He/She/It | reads | lee | She reads a novel now. | Ella lee una novela ahora. |
| We | read | leemos | We read together in class. | Nosotros leemos juntos en clase. |
| You (plural) | read | leéis | You read the report yesterday. | Vosotros leéis el informe ayer. |
| They | read | leen | They read all the articles. | Ellos leen todos los artículos. |
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | read (past) | leí | I read the email yesterday. | Yo leí el correo electrónico ayer. |
| You | read (past) | leíste | You read the letter last night. | Tú leíste la carta anoche. |
| He/She/It | read (past) | leyó | He read an interesting article. | Él leyó un artículo interesante. |
| We | read (past) | leímos | We read the report last week. | Nosotros leímos el informe la semana pasada. |
| You (plural) | read (past) | leísteis | You read the review yesterday. | Vosotros leísteis la reseña ayer. |
| They | read (past) | leyeron | They read many books last year. | Ellos leyeron muchos libros el año pasado. |
Pronunciation Notes
- Present tense read (/riːd/) rhymes with "reed."
- Past and past participle read (/rɛd/) rhymes with "red."
Usage Tips
The verb read is commonly used in various contexts, including studying, browsing, and literary discussions. Be mindful of its irregular pronunciation in the past tenses when speaking.
