Abren

Abren is a grammatical form in the Spanish language. It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb abrir, which means “to open.” It is used with sujetos ellos, ellas, or ustedes to describe an action that is happening in the present.

Conjugation and etymology: abrir is a regular -ir verb, and its present indicative forms are: yo abro, tú abres, él/ella abre, nosotros abrimos, vosotros abrís, ellos/ellas/ustedes abren. The verb abrir comes from Latin aperire, and its related forms appear in many Romance languages with similar roots (for example, Spanish abren corresponds to forms like abren in Portuguese as well).

Usage: Abren appears in everyday speech to indicate that a group or an informal/formal you all is currently opening something. Examples include: “Ellos abren la tienda a las ocho” (They open the store at eight) and “Ustedes abren la ventana para dejar salir el aire” (You all open the window to let the air out). It is distinct from the imperative form used to give a command to ustedes, which is “abran.”

Notes: Abren is a regular present-tense form and does not involve a stem change. The related verb abrir also has a notable meaning extension in phrases such as abrirse a, meaning to open oneself to something, though that usage can be idiomatic.

See also: abrir, Spanish verb conjugation, Spanish grammar.