Spanish Abrir Conjugation Made Easy
Need to say open in Spanish without melting your brain? Good news: abrir is mostly regular, so it behaves nicely most of the time. It just sneaks in one irregular form you absolutely need to know: abierto.
In this guide, you’ll learn the most useful abrir forms, what they mean in English, and how to use them in real-life sentences. We’ll focus on everyday Spanish, with a quick note when a form is more common in Spain than in Mexico or most of Latin America.
Quick Yak Box
- abrir = to open
- It is a regular -ir verb in most tenses.
- The past participle is abierto, not abrido. Yep, Spanish had to be dramatic somewhere.
- In Mexico and most of Latin America, you will usually use ustedes abren instead of vosotros abrís.
What Does Abrir Mean In Spanish?
Abrir means to open.
- Quiero abrir la puerta. = I want to open the door.
- Ella va a abrir la tienda. = She is going to open the store.
- No puedo abrir el archivo. = I can’t open the file.
Present Tense Of Abrir
Use the present tense for things you open now, usually open, or will open in the immediate future.
| Spanish | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo abro | I open | Yo abro la ventana cada mañana. I open the window every morning. |
| tú abres | you open | Tú abres la caja con cuidado. You open the box carefully. |
| él / ella / usted abre | he / she / you open | Ella abre el correo después del desayuno. She opens the mail after breakfast. |
| nosotros abrimos | we open | Nosotros abrimos la tienda a las nueve. We open the store at nine. |
| vosotros abrís | you all open | Vosotros abrís la puerta. You all open the door. |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes abren | they / you all open | Ustedes abren la aplicación. You all open the app. |
Most useful everyday forms: abro, abre, abrimos, abren.
Preterite Of Abrir
Use this for a completed action in the past.
- yo abrí = I opened
- tú abriste = you opened
- él / ella / usted abrió = he / she / you opened
- nosotros abrimos = we opened
- ellos / ellas / ustedes abrieron = they / you all opened
Abrí la puerta en silencio.
I opened the door quietly.
Ellos abrieron el regalo anoche.
They opened the gift last night.
Imperfect Of Abrir
Use this for repeated or ongoing past actions.
- yo abría = I used to open / was opening
- tú abrías = you used to open
- él / ella / usted abría = he / she / you used to open
- nosotros abríamos = we used to open
- ellos / ellas / ustedes abrían = they / you all used to open
Mi abuelo abría la tienda muy temprano.
My grandfather used to open the store very early.
Yo abría las ventanas cuando hacía calor.
I used to open the windows when it was hot.
Future And Conditional Of Abrir
| Pattern | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| abriré, abrirás, abrirá… | will open | Mañana abriré la oficina. Tomorrow I will open the office. | ¿Abrirás la ventana? Will you open the window? |
| abriría, abrirías, abriría… | would open | Yo abriría la puerta, pero no tengo la llave. I would open the door, but I don’t have the key. | Ellos abrirían más tarde. They would open later. |
The Irregular Form You Must Remember
Past Participle: Abierto
This is the one form that is not regular. The past participle is abierto, not abrido.
- La tienda está abierta. = The store is open.
- He abierto el archivo. = I have opened the file.
- Han abierto un restaurante aquí. = They have opened a restaurant here.
Think of abierto like opened / open. It shows up a lot in real life, so this form earns its keep.
Subjunctive Of Abrir
The subjunctive shows doubt, emotion, wishes, and uncertainty. You do not need every form on day one, but you should recognize the most common ones.
| Spanish | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo abra | that I open | Espero que yo abra bien la caja. I hope I open the box properly. |
| tú abras | that you open | Quiero que abras la puerta. I want you to open the door. |
| él / ella / usted abra | that he / she / you open | Es importante que ella abra el mensaje. It’s important that she open the message. |
| nosotros abramos | that we open | El jefe quiere que abramos temprano. The boss wants us to open early. |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes abran | that they / you all open | Dudo que ustedes abran hoy. I doubt you all will open today. |
Common trigger verbs: quiero que, es importante que, dudo que, es posible que.
Commands With Abrir
Commands are extremely useful because people are always opening things, not always emotionally, but often urgently.
| Command | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| abre | open (tú) | Abre la puerta, por favor. Open the door, please. |
| no abras | don’t open (tú) | No abras esa caja todavía. Don’t open that box yet. |
| abra | open (usted) | Abra su libro en la página diez. Open your book to page ten. |
| abramos | let’s open | Abramos las ventanas. Let’s open the windows. |
| abran | open (ustedes) | Abran sus correos. Open your emails. |
Spain Spanish Note
You may also see abrid for the vosotros command in Spain. In Mexico and most of Latin America, ustedes abran is the form you will hear much more often.
Useful Phrases With Abrir
- abrir la puerta = to open the door
¿Puedes abrir la puerta?
Can you open the door? - abrir la ventana = to open the window
Voy a abrir la ventana.
I’m going to open the window. - abrir la tienda = to open the store
Ellos abren la tienda a las ocho.
They open the store at eight. - abrir un regalo = to open a gift
La niña abrió su regalo.
The girl opened her gift. - abrir un archivo = to open a file
No puedo abrir este archivo.
I can’t open this file.
- abrir una cuenta = to open an account
Quiero abrir una cuenta bancaria.
I want to open a bank account. - abrir una app = to open an app
Abre la app de mensajes.
Open the messages app. - abrir el corazón = to open your heart
Le cuesta abrir el corazón.
It’s hard for him to open his heart. - abrir paso = to make way
La gente abrió paso.
The people made way. - abrir los ojos = to open your eyes / realize something
Ese libro me abrió los ojos.
That book opened my eyes.
Common Mistakes With Abrir
- Wrong: He abrido la puerta.
Right: He abierto la puerta.
Meaning: I have opened the door. - Wrong: Quiero que abres la puerta.
Right: Quiero que abras la puerta.
Why: After quiero que, you need the subjunctive. - Wrong: No abre la caja when giving a command to tú.
Right: No abras la caja.
Why: Negative tú commands use the subjunctive form.
Quick Practice
Try these mini drills before your coffee gets cold.
- Translate: I open the window every day.
Yo abro la ventana todos los días. - Translate: They opened the store yesterday.
Ellos abrieron la tienda ayer. - Translate: I have opened the email.
He abierto el correo. - Complete the sentence: Quiero que tú ____ la puerta.
abras - Give the command: Open the book! (usted)
Abra el libro.
Quick Reference Summary
| Form | Spanish | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | abrir | to open |
| Present yo | abro | I open |
| Preterite yo | abrí | I opened |
| Imperfect yo | abría | I used to open / was opening |
| Future yo | abriré | I will open |
| Conditional yo | abriría | I would open |
| Subjunctive yo | abra | that I open |
| Gerund | abriendo | opening |
| Past participle | abierto | opened / open |
| Command tú | abre | open |
| Negative tú command | no abras | don’t open |
Final Yak
Abrir is one of those verbs that pays off fast. Learn the present tense, the preterite, the command forms, and especially abierto, and you’ll already sound much more natural. Not bad for one little verb that mostly just opens things.
