influir

Influir is a Spanish verb meaning to have an influence on someone or something, or to affect the way in which events unfold. It is used to express how ideas, decisions, or conditions can shape outcomes, often with the preposition en to indicate the target of the influence (influir en alguien o en algo).

Etymology and related terms: influi r comes from Latin influere “to flow into,” formed by in- (into) and fluere (to flow). The noun form influencias refers to the act or effect of influencing, while influencia denotes the power or effect itself. A related verb, influenciar, exists in many varieties of Spanish and is increasingly used, especially in Latin America, though infl uir remains the traditional and normative form in many contexts.

Conjugation and usage: infl uir is a regular -uir verb with a stem that changes in some tenses due to the u-i alternation. Present indicative: influyo, influyes, influye, influimos, influís, influyen. Preterite: influí, influiste, influyó, influimos, influisteis, influyeron. Imperfect: influía, influías, influía, influíamos, influíais, influían. Subjunctive present: influya, influyas, influya, influyamos, influyáis, influyan. Gerund: influyendo; past participle: influido. Common constructions include influir en algo (to influence something) and influir en alguien (to influence someone), and passive or reflexive uses such as ser influido.

Examples: La campaña influyó en la opinión pública. Las condiciones económicas influyen en el mercado. Su decisión fue influida por varios factores externos. See también Influencia, Influenciar.