subirvssubirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“subir” and “subirse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#1,703
“subir” frequency rank
#18,692
“subirse” frequency rank
20395
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature subir subirse
Definition Pasar de un sitio o lugar a otro superior o elevado. Subir a través de un espacio vertical.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set subir and subirse apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
subir
7 ch
subirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. subir ([suˈβ̞iɾ]) and subirse ([suˈβ̞iɾse]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “subir” sits inside “subirse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20395, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

subir is recorded at frequency rank #1,703, classified as averb, pronounced [suˈβ̞iɾ]. subirse is at rank #18,692, tagged as averb, pronounced [suˈβ̞iɾse].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 20395, this pair ranks #259,522 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of subir vs subirse

Shared letters: birsu. Private to "subir": -. Private to "subirse": e.

"subir" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "subirse" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • subirsbuir · ssubir · subbir · subirr · subri · suibr · suvir · usbir
  • subirsesbuirse · ssubirse · subbirse · subirce · subires · subirrse · subirsse · subisre

Frequency comparison

subir#1,703
subirse#18,692

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "subir" and "subirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([suˈβ̞iɾ] versus [suˈβ̞iɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "subir" or "subirse"?
"subir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,703 in our Spanish list, against #18,692 for "subirse". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering subir vs subirse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “subir” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list