Sonreír Conjugation | How to Conjugate Sonreír in Spanish

Sonreír means “to smile.” You will learn its distinctive sonrío / sonríe present forms, sonrió / sonrieron preterite, gerund sonriendo, subjunctive families, compound forms, and commands.

Sonreír conjugation at a glance

Verb type: Irregular. Sonreír has several orthographic and stem patterns: sonrío, sonríes, sonríe, sonríen in stressed present forms; sonreímos / sonreís elsewhere in the present; gerund sonriendo; and participle sonreído.

Sonreír gerund, past participle, and infinitive

The infinitive names the verb, the gerund supports progressive constructions, and the past participle combines with haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — in compound forms. The participle sonreído remains invariant in those compounds.

Form	Spanish	Natural English guide
Infinitive	sonreír	to smile
Gerund	sonriendo	smiling
Past participle	sonreído	smiled

Sonreír meaning and essential uses

Sonreír is mainly intransitive and means laughing slightly or silently by changing the expression of the face: Ella sonríe. — “She smiles.” RAE notes that it can also be used pronominally.

RAE additionally uses sonreír figuratively for things, situations, hopes, or events that appear favorable or cheerful. For learners, the ordinary human meaning “to smile” is the central productive use.

Sonreír irregular conjugation patterns

The present indicative is sonrío, sonríes, sonríe, sonreímos, sonreís, sonríen. The preterite is sonreí, sonreíste, sonrió, sonreímos, sonreísteis, sonrieron.

The present subjunctive is sonría, sonrías, sonría, sonriamos, sonriáis, sonrían. Past/future subjunctive use sonrier-, the gerund is sonriendo, and the participle is sonreído.

Sonreír indicative and periphrastic conjugations

Sonreír present tense conjugation

Present indicative (el presente de indicativo) — Use it for current situations, habits, facts, and contextually near-future reference. Preserve the accent pattern exactly: sonrío, sonríes, sonríe, sonreímos, sonreís, sonríen.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonrío	I smile
Tú — you, singular informal	sonríes	you smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonríe	he / she smiles; you smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonreímos	we smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreís	you smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonríen	they smile; you smile (plural)

• Sonrío cuando veo a mis amigos. — I smile when I see my friends.

Sonreír preterite conjugation

Preterite (el pretérito perfecto simple / pretérito indefinido) — Use it for completed or bounded past events. Third-person forms are sonrió / sonrieron, while the remaining forms use sonreí- where required.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonreí	I smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	sonreíste	you smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonrió	he / she smiled; you smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonreímos	we smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreísteis	you smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonrieron	they smiled; you smiled (plural)

• Ayer sonrió al escuchar la noticia. — Yesterday he / she smiled upon hearing the news.

Sonreír imperfect conjugation

Imperfect (el pretérito imperfecto) — Use it for habitual, descriptive, background, or ongoing past situations. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonreía	I used to smile / was smiling
Tú — you, singular informal	sonreías	you used to smile / were smiling
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonreía	he / she used to smile / was smiling; you used to smile / were smiling (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonreíamos	we used to smile / were smiling
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreíais	you used to smile / were smiling (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonreían	they used to smile / were smiling; you used to smile / were smiling (plural)

• De niño sonreía mucho en las fotos. — As a child, I used to smile a lot in photos.

Sonreír present progressive

Present progressive — This verbal periphrasis focuses on an action or process in progress. Form it with present estar plus the irregular gerund sonriendo — “smiling.”

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	estoy sonriendo	I am smiling
Tú — you, singular informal	estás sonriendo	you are smiling
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	está sonriendo	he / she is smiling; you are smiling (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	estamos sonriendo	we are smiling
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	estáis sonriendo	you are smiling (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	están sonriendo	they are smiling; you are smiling (plural)

• Estoy sonriendo porque estoy contento. — I am smiling because I am happy.

Sonreír near future conjugation

Near future — This verbal periphrasis expresses an intention, plan, or expected event. Form it with present ir — “to go” — plus a — “to” — and sonreír.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	voy a sonreír	I am going to smile
Tú — you, singular informal	vas a sonreír	you are going to smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	va a sonreír	he / she is going to smile; you are going to smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vamos a sonreír	we are going to smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vais a sonreír	you are going to smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	van a sonreír	they are going to smile; you are going to smile (plural)

• Voy a sonreír para la foto. — I am going to smile for the photo.

Sonreír future tense conjugation

Simple future (el futuro simple) — Use it for future reference and, where useful, probability. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonreiré	I will smile
Tú — you, singular informal	sonreirás	you will smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonreirá	he / she will smile; you will smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonreiremos	we will smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreiréis	you will smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonreirán	they will smile; you will smile (plural)

• Sonreiremos cuando termine todo. — We will smile when everything is over.

Sonreír conditional conjugation

Conditional (el condicional simple) — Use it for hypothetical outcomes, softened statements, or related conditional meanings. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonreiría	I would smile
Tú — you, singular informal	sonreirías	you would smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonreiría	he / she would smile; you would smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonreiríamos	we would smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreiríais	you would smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonreirían	they would smile; you would smile (plural)

• Sonreiría más si estuviera menos cansado. — I would smile more if I were less tired.

Sonreír present perfect conjugation

Present perfect (el pretérito perfecto compuesto) — Use it for completed events connected to a present reference frame; regional distribution varies. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	he sonreído	I have smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	has sonreído	you have smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	ha sonreído	he / she has smiled; you have smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hemos sonreído	we have smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habéis sonreído	you have smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	han sonreído	they have smiled; you have smiled (plural)

• He sonreído mucho hoy. — I have smiled a lot today.

Sonreír past perfect conjugation

Past perfect (el pretérito pluscuamperfecto) — Use it for an event completed before another past reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	había sonreído	I had smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	habías sonreído	you had smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	había sonreído	he / she had smiled; you had smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habíamos sonreído	we had smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habíais sonreído	you had smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habían sonreído	they had smiled; you had smiled (plural)

• Ya habíamos sonreído para la primera foto. — We had already smiled for the first photo.

Sonreír future perfect conjugation

Future perfect (el futuro perfecto) — Use it for an event expected to be completed before a future reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habré sonreído	I will have smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	habrás sonreído	you will have smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habrá sonreído	he / she will have smiled; you will have smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habremos sonreído	we will have smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habréis sonreído	you will have smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrán sonreído	they will have smiled; you will have smiled (plural)

• Para entonces habrán sonreído muchas veces. — By then they will have smiled many times.

Sonreír conditional perfect conjugation

Conditional perfect (el condicional compuesto) — Use it for a hypothetical completed outcome. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habría sonreído	I would have smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	habrías sonreído	you would have smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habría sonreído	he / she would have smiled; you would have smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habríamos sonreído	we would have smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habríais sonreído	you would have smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrían sonreído	they would have smiled; you would have smiled (plural)

• Habría sonreído también en tu situación. — I would have smiled too in your situation.

Sonreír subjunctive conjugations

Sonreír present subjunctive conjugation

Present subjunctive (el presente de subjuntivo) — Use it in subordinate environments involving wishes, influence, emotion, doubt or denial, evaluation, necessity, possibility, or non-specific reference. RAE gives sonría, sonrías, sonría, sonriamos, sonriáis, sonrían.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonría	that I smile
Tú — you, singular informal	sonrías	that you smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonría	that he / she smile; that you smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonriamos	that we smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonriáis	that you smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonrían	that they smile; that you smile (plural)

• Quiero que sonrías para la foto. — I want you to smile for the photo.

Sonreír imperfect subjunctive conjugation

Imperfect subjunctive (el imperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses the -ra series. The accepted -se series is also valid in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. These forms use the sonrier- family; the main table shows the -ra series.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonriera	that I smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	sonrieras	that you smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonriera	that he / she smiled; that you smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonriéramos	that we smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonrierais	that you smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonrieran	that they smiled; that you smiled (plural)

• Preferían que sonriéramos al entrar. — They preferred that we smile when entering.
• Era mejor que sonrieses de forma natural. — It was better for you to smile naturally.

Sonreír future subjunctive conjugation

Future subjunctive (el futuro de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. It survives mainly in formal, legal, proverbial, literary, or historical contexts. These rare forms use the sonrier- family.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	sonriere	if / when I should smile
Tú — you, singular informal	sonrieres	if / when you should smile
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	sonriere	if / when he / she should smile; if / when you should smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	sonriéremos	if / when we should smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonriereis	if / when you should smile (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	sonrieren	if / when they should smile; if / when you should smile (plural)

• Quien sonriere durante la fotografía deberá mirar a la cámara. — Whoever should smile during the photograph must look at the camera.

Sonreír present perfect subjunctive conjugation

Present perfect subjunctive (el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) — Use it when a completed event appears inside a present- or future-oriented subjunctive environment. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	haya sonreído	that I have smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	hayas sonreído	that you have smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	haya sonreído	that he / she has smiled; that you have smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hayamos sonreído	that we have smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hayáis sonreído	that you have smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hayan sonreído	that they have smiled; that you have smiled (plural)

• Me alegra que hayas sonreído hoy. — I am glad that you smiled today.

Sonreír past perfect subjunctive conjugation

Past perfect subjunctive (el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses hubiera; hubiese is an accepted auxiliary alternative in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiera sonreído	that I had smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieras sonreído	that you had smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiera sonreído	that he / she had smiled; that you had smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéramos sonreído	that we had smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubierais sonreído	that you had smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieran sonreído	that they had smiled; that you had smiled (plural)

• Si hubiera sonreído más, la foto habría quedado mejor. — If I had smiled more, the photo would have turned out better.
• Si hubieses sonreído al saludar, habrías parecido más relajado. — If you had smiled when greeting, you would have seemed more relaxed.

Sonreír future perfect subjunctive conjugation

Future perfect subjunctive (el futuro perfecto de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. Treat it as a formal or historical reference form, not an everyday conversational target. Form it with the appropriate form of haber — “to have” as an auxiliary — plus the invariant participle sonreído.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiere sonreído	if / when I should have smiled
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieres sonreído	if / when you should have smiled
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiere sonreído	if / when he / she should have smiled; if / when you should have smiled (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéremos sonreído	if / when we should have smiled
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubiereis sonreído	if / when you should have smiled (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieren sonreído	if / when they should have smiled; if / when you should have smiled (plural)

• Si hubieren sonreído para la foto, no será necesario repetirla. — If they should have smiled for the photo, it will not be necessary to repeat it.

Sonreír imperative and commands

Commands address another person directly. The nosotros/nosotras row is a present-subjunctive form used with exhortative “let’s…” value.

Sonreír affirmative commands

Use the verified affirmative command forms for direct instructions when the target meaning supports them naturally.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	sonríe	smile
Usted — you, singular formal	sonría	smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	sonriamos	let’s smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	sonreíd	smile (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	sonrían	smile (plural)

• Sonríe para la foto. — Smile for the photo.

Sonreír negative commands

Negative commands use subjunctive-based forms, with no — “not / do not” — before the verb.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	no sonrías	do not smile
Usted — you, singular formal	no sonría	do not smile (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	no sonriamos	let’s not smile
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	no sonriáis	do not smile (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	no sonrían	do not smile (plural)

• No sonrías si no te apetece. — Do not smile if you do not feel like it.

Common constructions with Sonreír

These patterns show sentence frames that materially affect how the target verb is used.

• sonreír. — to smile.
• sonreír a alguien. — to smile at someone.
• sonreír para una foto. — to smile for a photo.

Example sentences with Sonreír

These examples reinforce the target verb across useful forms and contexts already taught in the lesson.

• Ella siempre sonríe al saludar. — She always smiles when greeting.
• Sonreímos para la cámara. — We smile for the camera.
• Me sonrió desde la otra mesa. — He / she smiled at me from the other table.
• Espero que sonrías más hoy. — I hope you smile more today.
• Ha sonreído desde que llegó. — He / she has been smiling since arriving.
• Sonríe y mira a la cámara. — Smile and look at the camera.

Regional and usage notes for Sonreír

The core tables retain tú, usted, vosotros/vosotras, and ustedes for project comparability. Voseo changes some second-person singular forms in regions where vos — “you, singular informal” — is used.

• Vos sonreís cuando estás contento. — You smile when you are happy. (voseo)
• Sonreí para la foto. — Smile for the photo. (affirmative vos command)

Sonreír requires careful spelling and stem tracking. Separate the accented present forms sonrío / sonríe from sonreímos / sonreís, and remember the irregular-looking families sonrió / sonrieron / sonriendo / sonriera.