Recibir

to receive

🎯
Infinitive (infinitivo)
Base form of the verb
recibir
🏃
Gerund (gerundio)
Present participle (-ing form)
recibiendo
📋
Past Participle
Used in compound tenses
recibido

Simple Tenses

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)
Present actions and habitual activities
PersonConjugation
yo
recibo
I receive
recibes
you receive
él/ella/usted
recibe
he/she/you receives
nosotros
recibimos
we receive
vosotros
recibís
you all receive
ellos/ustedes
reciben
they/you all receive
🕰️
Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)
Ongoing past actions and descriptions
PersonConjugation
yo
recibía
I used to receive
recibías
you used to receive
él/ella/usted
recibía
he/she/you used to receive
nosotros
recibíamos
we used to receive
vosotros
recibíais
you all used to receive
ellos/ustedes
recibían
they/you all used to receive
📅
Preterit (pretérito)
Completed past actions
PersonConjugation
yo
recibí
I received
recibiste
you received
él/ella/usted
recibió
he/she/you received
nosotros
recibimos
we received
vosotros
recibisteis
you all received
ellos/ustedes
recibieron
they/you all received
🔮
Future (futuro)
Future actions and intentions
PersonConjugation
yo
recibiré
I will receive
recibirás
you will receive
él/ella/usted
recibirá
he/she/you will receive
nosotros
recibiremos
we will receive
vosotros
recibiréis
you all will receive
ellos/ustedes
recibirán
they/you all will receive
🎯
Conditional (potencial simple)
Hypothetical and conditional actions
PersonConjugation
yo
recibiría
I would receive
recibirías
you would receive
él/ella/usted
recibiría
he/she/you would receive
nosotros
recibiríamos
we would receive
vosotros
recibiríais
you all would receive
ellos/ustedes
recibirían
they/you all would receive
💭
Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)
Subjective present actions and desires
PersonConjugation
yo
reciba
that I receive
recibas
that you receive
él/ella/usted
reciba
that he/she/you receive
nosotros
recibamos
that we receive
vosotros
recibáis
that you all receive
ellos/ustedes
reciban
that they/you all receive
🌙
Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations
PersonConjugation
yo
recibiera
or
recibiese
that I received
recibieras
or
recibieses
that you received
él/ella/usted
recibiera
or
recibiese
that he/she/you received
nosotros
recibiéramos
or
recibiésemos
that we received
vosotros
recibierais
or
recibieseis
that you all received
ellos/ustedes
recibieran
or
recibiesen
that they/you all received

Compound Tenses

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)
Actions completed recently or with present relevance
PersonConjugation
yo
he recibido
I have received
has recibido
you have received
él/ella/usted
ha recibido
he/she/you have received
nosotros
hemos recibido
we have received
vosotros
habéis recibido
you all have received
ellos/ustedes
han recibido
they/you all have received
Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)
Actions completed before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
había recibido
I had received
habías recibido
you had received
él/ella/usted
había recibido
he/she/you had received
nosotros
habíamos recibido
we had received
vosotros
habíais recibido
you all had received
ellos/ustedes
habían recibido
they/you all had received
📍
Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)
Actions completed immediately before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
hube recibido
I had received
hubiste recibido
you had received
él/ella/usted
hubo recibido
he/she/you had received
nosotros
hubimos recibido
we had received
vosotros
hubisteis recibido
you all had received
ellos/ustedes
hubieron recibido
they/you all had received
🎊
Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)
Actions that will be completed by a future time
PersonConjugation
yo
habré recibido
I will have received
habrás recibido
you will have received
él/ella/usted
habrá recibido
he/she/you will have received
nosotros
habremos recibido
we will have received
vosotros
habréis recibido
you all will have received
ellos/ustedes
habrán recibido
they/you all will have received
🔄
Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)
Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions
PersonConjugation
yo
habría recibido
I would have received
habrías recibido
you would have received
él/ella/usted
habría recibido
he/she/you would have received
nosotros
habríamos recibido
we would have received
vosotros
habríais recibido
you all would have received
ellos/ustedes
habrían recibido
they/you all would have received
💫
Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective actions completed in relation to the present
PersonConjugation
yo
haya recibido
that I have received
hayas recibido
that you have received
él/ella/usted
haya recibido
that he/she/you have received
nosotros
hayamos recibido
that we have received
vosotros
hayáis recibido
that you all have received
ellos/ustedes
hayan recibido
that they/you all have received
🌌
Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)
Subjective actions completed before another past action
PersonConjugation
yo
hubiera recibido
that I had received
hubieras recibido
that you had received
él/ella/usted
hubiera recibido
that he/she/you had received
nosotros
hubiéramos recibido
that we had received
vosotros
hubierais recibido
that you all had received
ellos/ustedes
hubieran recibido
that they/you all had received
Commands (imperativo)
Commands and direct orders
PersonCommandEnglish
recibe
receive! (you)
usted
reciba
receive! (you formal)
nosotros
recibamos
let's receive!
vosotros
recibid
receive! (you all)
ustedes
reciban
receive! (you all)
🚫
Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)
Negative commands and prohibitions
PersonCommandEnglish
no recibas
don't receive! (you)
usted
no reciba
don't receive! (you formal)
nosotros
no recibamos
let's not receive!
vosotros
no recibáis
don't receive! (you all)
ustedes
no reciban
don't receive! (you all)

More About "recibir"

Idiomatic Expressions

recibir con los brazos abiertos

to welcome with open arms

💡 Greeting someone warmly and enthusiastically

recibirse de

to graduate as (Latin America)

💡 Completing studies and obtaining a degree

recibir una paliza

to get beaten / to receive a thrashing

💡 Being defeated badly or physically beaten

recibir un regalo

to receive a gift

💡 Getting a present from someone

Examples in Context

Recibo muchos emails todos los días.

I receive many emails every day.

Present

Recibí tu mensaje ayer.

I received your message yesterday.

Preterite

¿Recibiste mi paquete?

Did you receive my package?

Preterite

He recibido buenas noticias.

I have received good news.

Present Perfect

Recibirás una confirmación por email.

You will receive a confirmation by email.

Future
Related Verbs
percibir(to perceive, receive)

similar meaning - to perceive/receive

concebir(to conceive)

similar ending - to conceive

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

obtener(to obtain, get)

More active acquisition

aceptar(to accept)

Emphasizes willingness to receive

Antonyms:

dar(to give)
enviar(to send)
entregar(to deliver, hand over)
Usage Notes
  • Recibir is a regular -ir verb
  • Main meaning: to receive, to get, to welcome
  • Can mean "to welcome" or "to greet": recibir invitados (to welcome guests)
  • In Latin America, "recibirse" means "to graduate": Me recibí de médico (I graduated as a doctor)
  • Opposite of "dar" (to give) or "enviar" (to send)
  • Common in formal contexts: recibir correspondencia (to receive correspondence)
  • Used for payments: recibir el salario (to receive salary)
  • Related noun: el recibo (receipt)