Introduction
referirse means “to refer to”, and this page covers exactly one thing: referirse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for referirse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about referirse in the present. For example: “Yo me refiero al problema todos los días.” — “I refer to the problem.” Everything on this page uses the forms of referirse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
referirse in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | refiero |
| tú | refieres |
| él/ella/Ud. | refiere |
| nosotros/as | referimos |
| vosotros/as | referís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | refieren |
Gerund: refiriendo · Past participle: referido
The gerund is refiriendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy refiriendo” means the action of referirse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is referido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he referido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how referirse is used.
How the present of referirse is formed
referirse is a -ir verb. Take the stem refer and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving refiero, refieres, refiere, referimos, referís and refieren. But referirse is not fully regular here: it changes its stem (e → ie), so the stem in the table is not the infinitive stem in several persons. Learn the six forms as a set rather than building them from the infinitive each time.
The present of referirse rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form refiero is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form referimos and the ellos form refieren are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.
When to use the present of referirse
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use referirse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A habit or routine
referirse in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about the problem is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo me refiero al problema cada día.” — “I refer to the problem.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about the problem also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él se refiere al problema siempre.” — “He refers to the problem.”
3. Something happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. It is the simplest way to describe an action in progress when you do not need the gerund. Example: “Nosotros nos referimos al problema ahora mismo.” — “We refer to the problem.”
4. A scheduled near-future event
Spanish often uses the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense. Example: “Ellos se refieren al problema mañana.” — “They refer to the problem.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about the problem — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú te refieres al problema normalmente.” — “you refer to the problem.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the tense. Time words help: cada día and siempre point to the present, while ayer points to the preterite.
Present Tense: “Yo me refiero al problema cada día.” — “I refer to the problem.”
Preterite: “Yo me referí al problema ayer.” — “I referred to the problem.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Él se refiere al problema siempre.” — “He refers to the problem.”
Preterite: “Él se refirió al problema ayer.” — “He referred to the problem.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Nosotros nos referimos al problema todos los días.” — “We refer to the problem.”
Preterite: “Nosotros nos referimos al problema ayer.” — “We referred to the problem.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Example sentences: referirse in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
- “Yo me refiero al problema cada día.” — “I refer to the problem.”
- “Tú te refieres al problema cada día.” — “you refer to the problem.”
- “Él se refiere al problema siempre.” — “He refers to the problem.”
- “Nosotros nos referimos al problema todos los días.” — “We refer to the problem.”
- “Vosotros os referís al problema cada semana.” — “You refer to the problem.”
- “Ellos se refieren al problema normalmente.” — “They refer to the problem.”
- “Yo me refiero al problema ahora mismo.” — “I refer to the problem.”
- “Él se refiere al problema cada día.” — “He refers to the problem.”
Common mistakes
Using the unchanged stem
Learners often write refero for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is refiero. Because referirse changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo refiero al problema — until the changed stem feels natural.
Dropping the reflexive pronoun
Because referirse is reflexive, it always needs its pronoun: yo me refiero al problema, not yo refiero al problema. Without me, the sentence either means something else or means nothing at all. The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se — learn them with the verb, not as an afterthought.
Confusing referirse with reflexionar
referirse and reflexionar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of referirse — refer to — the sentence needs referirse; if it needs the meaning of reflexionar, use that verb instead.
Using the indicative after "espero que"
After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo refiera al problema. Using the indicative — Espero que yo refiero — is one of the most frequent learner errors with referirse. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.
Using the wrong tense for referirse
The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the present where Spanish needs the preterite, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refieres
- B. refiere
- C. referimos
- D. refiero
2. What is the tu form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refieres
- B. refiero
- C. refiere
- D. referimos
3. What is the el form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. referimos
- B. refiere
- C. refiero
- D. refieres
4. What is the nosotros form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refieres
- B. refiere
- C. referimos
- D. refiero
5. What is the vosotros form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refiero
- B. refieres
- C. refiere
- D. referís
6. What is the ellos form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refieren
- B. refiero
- C. refieres
- D. refiere
7. What is the yo form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. referimos
- B. refiero
- C. refieres
- D. refiere
8. What is the el form of referirse in the present tense?
- A. refieres
- B. referimos
- C. refiere
- D. refiero
Answer key
- refiero — The present table gives yo = refiero.
- refieres — The present table gives tu = refieres.
- refiere — The present table gives el = refiere.
- referimos — The present table gives nosotros = referimos.
- referís — The present table gives vosotros = referís.
- refieren — The present table gives ellos = refieren.
- refiero — The present table gives yo = refiero.
- refiere — The present table gives el = refiere.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of referirse?
Take the stem refer and add the present endings for -ir verbs. The six forms are refiero, refieres, refiere, referimos, referís and refieren. Remember the stem change (e → ie) where it applies. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of referirse?
Use it for habits, facts and things happening now. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is a routine or a present fact, the present is the right choice.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of referirse?
The present form for yo is refiero and the preterite form is referí — different forms for different meanings. The present reports what happens regularly or now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.
Is referirse regular in the present?
No — referirse is irregular in the present, so learn the six forms in the table as a set. The full conjugation of referirse is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- referirse conjugation — the full conjugation of referirse in every tense.
- referirse examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a second quiz.
- Spanish present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub with every verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present tense.
- Verb quiz — practise conjugations with timed questions.