Morir means "to die"—to cease living or to come to an end. It can be used literally for living beings or figuratively to express extreme emotions or situations.

Anatomy of Morir

  • Verb type: Irregular stem-changing verb (o → ue).
  • Conjugation classes: Present, Preterite, Imperfect, Future, Conditional.
  • Participles: muerto (past participle).

Principales Usos de Morir

  1. Literal:
    1. Mi abuelo murió el año pasado.*
    2. (My grandfather died last year.)
  1. Figurative:
    1. Estoy muriendo de hambre.*
    2. (I’m dying of hunger.)
    3. Morir de risa.* (to die laughing)
  1. Fixed expressions:
    1. Morir joven* (to die young)
    2. Morir por alguien* (to be crazy about someone)

Ejemplos

  • Los soldados murieron en la batalla.* (The soldiers died in battle.)
  • Murió de un ataque al corazón.* (He/she died of a heart attack.)
  • Estoy muriendo por un café.* (I’m dying for a coffee.)

Morir en Tiempo Presente

Only the yo, , él/ella, and ellos/ellas forms change the stem o → ue
PersonSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
yoyo mueroI die
tú mueresyou die
él/ellaella muereshe dies
nosotrosnosotros morimoswe die
ellos/asellos muerenthey die

Morir en Tiempo Pretérito

Only él/ella and ellos/ellas change; o → u.
PersonSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
yoyo moríI died
tú moristeyou died
él/ellaella murióshe died
nosotrosnosotros morimoswe died
ellos/asellos murieronthey died

Morir en Tiempo Imperfecto

All endings use irregular stem o → ue.
PersonSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
yoyo moríaI used to die
tú moríasyou used to die
él/ellaella moríashe used to die
nosotrosnosotros moríamoswe used to die
ellos/asellos moríanthey used to die

Morir en Tiempo Futuro

Add future tense endings to the infinitive morir- (no stem change).
PersonSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
yoyo moriréI will die
tú morirásyou will die
él/ellaella moriráshe will die
nosotrosnosotros moriremoswe will die
ellos/asellos moriránthey will die

Morir en Tiempo Condicional

Add conditional endings to infinitive morir- (no stem change).
PersonSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
yoyo moriríaI would die
tú moriríasyou would die
él/ellaella moriríashe would die
nosotrosnosotros moriríamoswe would die
ellos/asellos moriríanthey would die

Morir con Pasado Participio y Perfectos

  • Past participle: muerto (means "dead").
  • Auxiliary verb: haber.
TenseSpanish ExampleEnglish Example
Present Perfecthe muertoI have died
Past Perfecthabía muertoI had died
Future Perfecthabré muertoI will have died
Conditional Perfecthabría muertoI would have died

Frases Comunes con Morir

  • Morir de risa — to die laughing (be very amused).
  • Morir de hambre — to be starving.
  • Morir de sueño — to be very sleepy.
  • Morir por alguien — to be crazy about someone.
  • Morir joven — to die young.

Consejos y Advertencias

  • Use morir carefully in sensitive contexts; it is a strong word.
  • For someone’s death, also see fallecer (more formal).
  • Don’t confuse morir with matar (to kill).

Resumen

  • Morir means "to die," with literal and figurative uses.
  • Irregular stem changes: o → ue in present and imperfect, o → u in preterite 3rd person.
  • Past participle: muerto.
  • Used in many common expressions about emotions, age, and intensity.
Now you can handle morir in writings, conversations, and cultural expressions!

What emotion is expressed by morir de risa?


being very amused

Morir de risa means "to die laughing," expressing that something is extremely funny.

I would have died without help.


habría muerto sin ayuda.

Conditional perfect uses habría + muerto. Morido is not a correct participle form.

How would you say "The soldiers died in battle" in Spanish?


Los soldados murieron en la batalla.

The correct literal past tense for "The soldiers died in battle" is "Los soldados murieron en la batalla."

Which of these is NOT a tense morir is conjugated in in the guide?


Subjunctive

The guide covers Indicative tenses like Present, Preterite, Imperfect, Future, and Conditional. It does not include the Subjunctive mood.

Flashcards (1 of 29)

  • Person: yo
  • English Example: I die

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

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