Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "to open" in Spanish
"To open" in Spanish is abrir, pronounced ah-BREER (stress on the syllable in capitals).
| Spanish | abrir |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | ah-BREER |
| Meaning | to open |
| Part of speech | verb |
| Frequency | #99 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice.
How to pronounce abrir
Abrir is pronounced ah-BREER, in IPA /aˈbɾiɾ/. Abrir has two syllables, ah-BREER, with the stress on the second. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a consonant other than -n or -s are stressed on the last syllable.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Example sentences
Abre la ventana
open the window
Voy a abrir la puerta.
I am going to open the door.
¡Abre el regalo!
Open the gift!
"To open" in Spain and Latin America
Useful phrases
- abierto / cerrado
open / closed (signs on doors)
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember abrir
abrir [ah-BREER] sounds like the English “a-brrr”. Picture this:
You open the freezer — a-brrr! — a small winter escapes into the kitchen.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice abrir
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.