Learn about the Spanish verb morir, meaning "to die," and its conjugation. Examine morir's preterite, past participle, and subjunctive tenses with examples.
Morir in Spanish | Conjugation Charts & Examples
Table of Contents
Show
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you conjugate morir in the preterite tense?
Morir can be conjugated in the preterite tense using the verb stems mor- and muer-, and the corresponding endings. The conjugation is: Yo morí, Tú moriste, Él/Ella/Usted murió, Nosotros/as morimos, Vosotros/as moristeis, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes murieron.
How do you conjugate morir in the subjunctive?
Morir can be conjugated in the subjunctive tense using the verb stems muer- and mur-, and the corresponding endings. The conjugation is: Yo muera, Tú mueras, Él/Ella/Usted muera, Nosotros/as muramos, Vosotros/as muráis, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes mueran.
What is the past participle of morir and how is it used?
The past participle of morir is muerto (dead). It can be used to form perfect tenses like the present perfect, like in El rey ha muerto ('The king has died'). It can also be used as an adjective (muerto/muerta). For example: Las flores muertas ('The dead flowers').
Table of Contents
ShowMorir is a Spanish verb that in its infinitive form means "to die" in English. It is used to refer to someone who is not alive anymore or to something that comes to an end. There are many things that can die, like a close person or an animal. Also, an abstract concept like a fashion trend or a civilization can die. Some examples of how morir can be used in its infinitive form are:
- Mi abuelo va a morir. ('My grandfather is going to die.')
- Vi morir a mi perro. ('I saw my dog die.')
- La civilización egipcia estaba condenada a morir. ('The Egyptian civilization was doomed to die.')
Verbs change their ending according to the pronoun and the tense, mood, or voice. This is called conjugation. Conjugation charts show all the changes that occur for these verbs because of their tenses, moods, or voices and because of the pronoun. They are a guide for Spanish students to learn how to conjugate and use verbs correctly.
Morir is an irregular verb. This is because its main stem is mor-, but for some conjugations, a stem change occurs. Regular verbs use the same stem for all conjugations. This is why conjugation charts are important, to note where the stem change is needed.
Preterite Tense
The preterite or past indicative tense is used in Spanish to indicate past actions that are finished, so morir in the preterite tense is used to say that someone or something died. The past tense or preterite conjugation of morir uses the main verb stem and the corresponding endings. But for some pronouns, the stem changes. The conjugation structure for the preterite tense of morir is:
- For the third and singular person: mur- (verb stem) + ió, ieron (preterite endings)
- For all other pronouns: Mor- (verb stem) + Ã, iste, imos, isteis (preterite endings)
For example: the Tú morir preterite conjugation is Tú moriste. The full morir preterite conjugation chart is:
| Pronoun | Preterite Conjugation | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (YOH) | morà | moh-REE | I died |
| Tú (TOO) | moriste | moh-REES-teh | You died |
| Él/Ella/Usted (EHL/eh-YAH/oos-TEHD) | murió | moo-RYOH | He/She/You (formal) died |
| Nosotros/as (noh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | morimos | moh-REE-mohs | We died |
| Vosotros/as (boh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | moristeis | moh-REES-teh-ees | You all died |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (eh-YOHS/eh-YAHS/oos-TEH-dehs) | murieron | moo-RYEH-rohn | They/You all (formal) died |
Some example sentences are:
- Mis limoneros murieron la semana pasada. ('My lemon trees died last week.')
- Mi abuelo murió de COVID-19. ('My grandfather died from COVID-19.')
- Gracias a Dios no morà en el accidente. ('Thank God I didn't die in the accident.')
Past Participle of Morir
The past participle is a non-personal form of the verb. This means that the conjugation is the same for all pronouns. The past participle of morir is muerto. This past participle is used with auxiliary verbs to create compound tenses like the present perfect. The present perfect is used to describe actions that started somewhere in the past and that still continue or still have relevance to the present. The conjugation of this tense is formed by the present tense conjugation of the auxiliary verb haber (to have) and the past participle of morir. This past participle form can also be used as an adjective (muerto/muerta) to describe someone or something that is dead. The conjugation structure for the present perfect tense of morir is:
- Haber present tense conjugation + muerto
The morir present perfect conjugation chart is:
| Pronoun | P. Perfect conjugation | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (YOH) | he muerto | EH moo-EHR-toh | I have died |
| Tú (TOO) | has muerto | AHS moo-EHR-toh | You died |
| Él/Ella/Usted (EHL/eh-YAH/oos-TEHD) | ha muerto | AH moo-EHR-toh | He/She has died You (formal) have died |
| Nosotros/as (noh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | hemos muerto | eh-MOHS moo-EHR-toh | We have died |
| Vosotros/as (boh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | habéis muerto | ah-beh-EES moo-EHR-toh | You all have died |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (eh-YOHS/eh-YAHS/oos-TEH-dehs) | han muerto | AHN moo-EHR-toh | They/You all (formal) have died |
Some example sentences are:
- El rey ha muerto. ('The king has died.')
- Es arriesgado pero hasta ahora no hemos muerto. ('It is risky, but until now we haven't died.')
- Los mineros atrapados han muerto. ('The trapped miners have died.')
Subjunctive Tense
In Spanish, there are two verb moods: indicative and subjunctive. The indicative describes facts or real situations, while the subjunctive is more hypothetical. The subjunctive or present subjunctive is used to talk about possibilities, wishes, or to express emotion about an action. The conjugation structure for the subjunctive tense of morir is:
- For the first and second plural person: mur- (verb stem) + amos, áis (subjunctive endings)
- For all other pronouns: Muer- (verb stem) + a, as, a, an (subjunctive endings)
The morir subjunctive conjugation chart is:
| Pronoun | Subjunctive Conjugation | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (YOH) | muera | moo-EH-rah | I die |
| Tú (TOO) | mueras | moo-EH-rahs | You die |
| Él/Ella/Usted (EHL/eh-YAH/oos-TEHD) | muera | moo-EH-rah | He/She dies You (formal) die |
| Nosotros/as (noh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | muramos | moo-RAH-mohs | We die |
| Vosotros/as (boh-SOH-trohs/trahs) | muráis | moo-RAH-ees | You all die |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (eh-YOHS/eh-YAHS/oos-TEH-dehs) | mueran | moo-EH-rahn | They/You all (formal) die |
Some example sentences are:
- El doctor no quiere que yo muera. ('The doctor doesn't want me to die.')
- Vamos al teatro y muramos de aburrimiento. ('Let's go to the theater and die of boredom.')
- Deja un testamento para cuando mueras. ('Leave a written will for when you die.')
The following is an example of a conversation that uses morir in the preterite, past participle, and subjunctive tenses:
- Joe: Abuelo, tengo miedo de morir. ('Grandpa, I'm afraid of dying.')
- Grandpa: No lo estés, es parte de la vida. Cuando muera me iré feliz de haber vivido una buena vida. ('Don't be, it's part of life. When I die I will leave happy to have lived a good life.')
- Joe: Es que los abuelos de muchos de mis amigos han muerto. No me gustarÃa perderte. ('It is that the grandparents of many of my friends have died. I would not like to lose you.')
- Grandpa: Por eso hay que disfrutar cada dÃa. Tu abuela murió el año pasado pero yo sigo aquÃ. ('That's why we have to enjoy each day. Your grandma died last year but I'm still here.')
Morir is a Spanish verb that means "to die" in English. It is used to describe the action of someone losing life or something coming to an end. It is an irregular verb since its main stem (mor-) changes to muer- in some conjugations. To conjugate morir in the preterite and subjunctive, the verb stems and the corresponding endings are used. For the present perfect conjugation, the present tense conjugation of the verb haber (to have) and the past participle of morir are used. The past participle of morir is muerto and can be used as an adjective, such as in las plantas muertas ('the dead plants').
The preterite describes past and finished actions, such as Nuestros árboles murieron ('Our trees died'). The subjunctive indicates possibilities, wishes, or emotions about an action; for example: Ojala no muera ('Hopefully he doesn't die'). The present perfect shows actions that started in the past and continue in the present, like Los perros han muerto ('The dogs have died').
Additional Info
Let's Learn About Morir
Have you ever felt like you were dying of thirst? Or maybe you come home from a vacation and find that your favorite cactus has died. If you want to talk about dying in Spanish, you will need the verb morir (moh-REER).
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate morir in the indicative preterite and the present subjunctive tenses. You will also learn how form the past participle of morir, which is used to create perfect tenses and the adjective 'dead'.
Let's get started!
Morir in the Indicative Preterite Tense
The indicative preterite tense is used to talk about an action that happened once in the past. It is often referred to as the immediate or short term past. Morir is regular in this tense, but has an -o to -u shift for the third person singular and plural.
| VERB: morir (moh-REER) to die |
|---|
| Subject Pronoun |
Indicative Preterite Tense | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | morà | moh-REE | I died |
| tú | moriste | moh-REE-stay | You (informal) died |
| él, ella, usted |
murió | moo-ree-OH | He, she, you (formal) died |
| nosotros nosotras |
morimos | moh-REE-mohs | We died |
| vosotros vosotras |
moristeis | moh-ree-STAY-ees | You (plural, informal) died |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
murieron | moo-ree-EH-rohn | They (male, female), you (plural, informal) died |
Examples in the Indicative Preterite Tense
- Vi el accidente, y es un milagro que no moriste. (I saw the accident, and it is a miracle that you didn't die.)
- El año pasado, murió la mitad de los cultivos. (Last year, half of the crops died.)
- TodavÃa no sabemos cuantas personas murieron como un resultado del huracán. (We still don't know how many people died as a result of the hurricane.)
- Casi morà de sed durante el viaje. (I almost died of thirst during the trip.)
 |
Morir in the Subjunctive Present Tense
The subjunctive is used to express doubt or desire. It is also used when emotion is expressed about an action. This lesson will cover the present subjunctive tense of morir, which uses the present indicative tense of yo (muero) as a base for its conjugation for all pronouns except nosotros and vosotros. Nosotros and vosotros have an -o to -u shift.
| VERB: morir (moh-REER) to die |
|---|
| Subject Pronoun |
Present Subjuntive Tense | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | muera | MWEH-rah | I die |
| tú | mueras | MWEH-rahs | You (informal) die |
| él, ella, usted |
muera | MWEH-rah | He, she dies; you (formal) die |
| nosotros nosotras |
muramos | moo-RAH-mohs | We die |
| vosotros vosotras |
muráis | moo-RAH-ees | You (plural, informal) die |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
mueran | MWEH-rahn | They (male, female), you (plural, informal) die |
Note: In the present subjunctive tense, morir has the same conjugation for yo and the third person singular.
Examples in Present Subjunctive Tense
- ¿Es posible que muramos de calor durante el verano? (Is it possible that we could die from heat during the summer?)
- ¿Estás triste que muera tu jardÃn en invierno? (Are you sad that your garden dies in winter?)
- Según las estadÃsticas, es probable que mueras de cáncer o una enfermedad cardÃaca. (According to the statistics, it is likely that you could die from cancer or heart disease.)
- Es un lástima que personas mueran cada año de accidentes de moto. (It is a shame that every year people die from motorcycle accidents.)
 |
The Past Participle of Morir
The past participle is used to create the perfect tense. It can also be used to change a verb into an adjective. The past participle of morir is muerto. This lesson will cover the present perfect tense of morir, which uses the past participle along with the present tense of haber.
We will also look at examples of how to use muerto as an adjective. Remember that adjectives in Spanish change according to gender and number.
| VERB: morir (moh-REER) to die |
|---|
| Subject Pronoun |
Present Perfect Tense | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | he muerto | ay-MWERH-toh | I have died |
| tú | has muerto | ahs-MWERH-toh | You (informal) have died |
| él, ella, usted |
ha muerto | ah-MWERH-toh | He, she has died; you (formal) have died |
| nosotros nosotras |
hemos muerto | AY-mose-MWERH-toh | We have died |
| vosotros vosotras |
habéis muerto | ah-BAY-ees-MWERH-toh | You (plural, informal) have died |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
han muerto | ahn-MWERH-toh | They (male, female), you (plural, formal) have died |
Examples Using the Past Participle
- Leà en el periódico que ha muerto el alcalde. (I read in the newspaper that the mayor has died.)
- Me siento como he muerto cuando termino mi rutina de ejercicio. (I feel like I have died when I finish my workout.)
As an adjective:
- Hay un árbol muerto cerca a nuestra casa que tenemos que remover. (There is a dead tree near our house that we have to remove.)
- Las mariposas muertas siempre me hacen llorar. (Dead butterflies always make me cry.)
 |
Lesson Summary
Morir means 'to die'. We use this verb if we want to talk about dying of laughter or a plant that died. Morir is mostly regular in the preterite tense, but is irregular in the present subjunctive due to a spelling shift. It also has an irregular past participle, muerto.
| VERB: divertir (dee-vehr-TEER) to entertain |
|---|
| Subject Pronoun |
Indicative Preterite Tense |
Subjunctive Present Tense |
Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | morà | muera | he muerto |
| tú | moriste | mueras | has muerto |
| él, ella, usted |
murió | muera | ha muerto |
| nosotros nosotras |
morimos | moramos | hemos muerto |
| vosotros vosotras |
moristeis | moráis | habéis muerto |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes |
murieron | mueran | han muerto |
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
BackResources created by teachers for teachers
Over 30,000 video lessons
& teaching resources‐all
in one place.
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Back
Morir in Spanish | Conjugation Charts & Examples Related Study Materials
Explore our library of over 88,000 lessons
Browse by subject