dirigirse

Dirigirse is a Spanish verb that belongs to the pronominal family of dirigir. It has two primary uses: a physical sense of moving toward a place and a discourse sense of addressing or turning remarks toward someone or something. As a reflexive verb, it combines with a reflexive pronoun, and its meaning shifts with context.

In the directional sense, dirigirse means to head for or go toward a location. Examples include el tren se dirige a Madrid (the train is heading for Madrid) and una persona que se dirige hacia la salida (someone moving toward the exit). In a figurative or communicative sense, it means to address or speak to someone, or to turn one’s attention to a topic or audience. Examples: se dirige al público (he/she addresses the audience) and me dirijo a ustedes para presentarles... (I am speaking to you all to present...). The construction with a or a mí/ti/a alguien is common: dirigirse a alguien.

Grammar and conjugation: Dirigirse is conjugated as a reflexive verb. Present indicative forms are me dirijo, te diriges, se dirige, nos dirigimos, os dirigís, se dirigen. Other tenses follow the corresponding forms of dirigir plus the appropriate reflexive pronoun: me dirigí, te dirigiste, se dirigió, etc. The verb also participates in subjunctive and imperative forms (dirígete, dirígete a, ¡diríjase!).

Etymology: dirigirse comes from the verb dirigir, which traces to Latin dirigere, meaning “to direct.” The reflexive form emphasizes the direction of the action toward a place, a person, or a topic.