Spanish grammar · Beginner
Recibir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Recibir means to receive. Fully regular -ir across every tense: recibo, recibí, recibía, recibiré, recibiría, reciba, recibiendo, recibido. Used for receiving gifts, news, emails, guests, awards.
Recibo un regalo.
I receive a gift.
What it is
Recibir means to receive. Fully regular -ir verb across every tense. Used for: receiving gifts (recibí un regalo), receiving news (recibí buenas noticias), welcoming guests (recibimos a los invitados), getting awards (recibí un premio).
Recibo cartas todos los días (I receive letters every day). Recibí buenas noticias ayer (I received good news yesterday).
How to spot it
Fully regular -ir. No stem changes or irregular forms. Common with: gifts, news, emails, packages, visits, awards, payments.
- Recibo muchos emails. — I receive many emails.
- Recibí un paquete. — I received a package.
- Recibiremos a los invitados. — We'll receive the guests.
Recibir is fully regular like vivir, escribir, sufrir. Same -ir endings throughout.
Recibir Conjugation Quick Reference
Recibir at a glance
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | recibo | recibí | recibía | recibiré | reciba |
| tú | recibes | recibiste | recibías | recibirás | recibas |
| él/ella/Ud. | recibe | recibió | recibía | recibirá | reciba |
| nosotros | recibimos | recibimos | recibíamos | recibiremos | recibamos |
| vosotros | recibís | recibisteis | recibíais | recibiréis | recibáis |
| ellos/Uds. | reciben | recibieron | recibían | recibirán | reciban |
Common Recibir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Recibir across uses:
Receiving Things (Gifts, Packages)
- Recibí un regalo de cumpleaños.
- I received a birthday gift.
- Recibimos el paquete esta mañana.
- We received the package this morning.
- ¿Recibiste mi carta?
- Did you receive my letter?
- Reciben muchos donativos.
- They receive many donations.
Most common: receiving physical items.
Receiving Information / News
- Recibí buenas noticias.
- I received good news.
- ¿Has recibido mi mensaje?
- Have you received my message?
- Recibimos un email importante.
- We received an important email.
- Recibieron la información ayer.
- They received the information yesterday.
Use for emails, messages, calls, news.
Welcoming People
- Recibimos a los invitados con un brindis.
- We welcomed the guests with a toast.
- El presidente recibió a los embajadores.
- The president welcomed the ambassadors.
- Nos recibieron con mucho cariño.
- They welcomed us very warmly.
- Voy a recibir a mi hermano en el aeropuerto.
- I'm going to meet my brother at the airport.
Recibir a + person = welcome / receive someone. Personal a required.
Receiving Awards / Payments
- Recibió un premio importante.
- He received an important award.
- Recibimos el pago a tiempo.
- We received the payment on time.
- Recibiré mi salario el viernes.
- I'll receive my salary on Friday.
- Han recibido reconocimiento internacional.
- They've received international recognition.
Use for awards, payments, recognition.
How to Conjugate Recibir Across Tenses
Present, Fully Regular -ir
Recibo, recibes, recibe, recibimos, recibís, reciben. Standard -ir.
Recibo, recibes, recibe, recibimos, recibís, reciben.
I receive, you receive, etc.
Standard -ir pattern.
Preterite, Fully Regular
Recibí, recibiste, recibió, recibimos, recibisteis, recibieron. Standard -ir preterite.
Recibí el paquete.
I received the package.
Standard -ir preterite.
Subjunctive, Standard
Reciba, recibas, reciba, recibamos, recibáis, reciban. Take yo (recibo), drop -o, add -a endings.
Espero que recibas mi mensaje.
I hope you receive my message.
Subjunctive: standard -ir.
Compound Tenses
Past participle recibido is regular. He recibido, había recibido, etc.
He recibido muchos regalos.
I've received many gifts.
Regular past participle.
Common Mistakes with Recibir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo recibo regalo. — I receive a gift.
Correct: Yo recibo un regalo. — I receive a gift.
Need article (un / el) before countable nouns in Spanish. *Recibo regalo doesn't work; recibo un regalo (a gift) or el regalo (the gift).
Incorrect: Recibimos los invitados. — We welcome the guests.
Correct: Recibimos a los invitados. — We welcome the guests.
With human direct objects, use personal a: recibir a + person. Without a, sounds like receiving them as objects, not welcoming them.
Incorrect: Quiero que recibes el premio. — I want you to receive the award.
Correct: Quiero que recibas el premio. — I want you to receive the award.
Querer que triggers subjunctive. Recibes (indicative) → recibas (subjunctive).
Recibir Across Every Tense
Fully regular -ir verb. No stem changes, no irregular forms.
Present (Regular)
Standard -ir present.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same as vivo, escribo.
Preterite (Regular)
Standard -ir preterite.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Standard regular -ir preterite.
Imperfect (Regular)
Standard -ir imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Recibía muchas cartas antes.
Future / Conditional / Subjunctive / Compound
All regular -ir.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle recibido regular.
Recibir Conjugation FAQs
- What does recibir mean?
- Recibir means to receive. Use for: gifts (recibí un regalo), news / information (recibí buenas noticias), welcoming guests (recibimos a los invitados), awards (recibió un premio), payments (recibí el pago).
- How do you conjugate recibir in the present?
- Recibo, recibes, recibe, recibimos, recibís, reciben. Fully regular -ir verb.
- What's the preterite of recibir?
- Recibí, recibiste, recibió, recibimos, recibisteis, recibieron. Standard regular -ir preterite.
- When do I need the personal a with recibir?
- When the object is a person being welcomed: recibimos a los invitados (we welcome the guests). Without a, sounds like receiving them as objects. With objects (gifts, news, packages), no a needed.
- How can I master recibir?
- Recibir is fully regular, so master the regular -ir endings (recibo, recibí, recibiré, etc.) and you've mastered recibir. Practice in everyday contexts (gifts, emails, packages). Parrot's videos show recibir in natural conversations.