medirlas

Medirlas is a Spanish verbal form that combines the verb medir (to measure) with the direct object pronoun las (them), indicating feminine plural objects. It is used when the thing to be measured is feminine and plural, and the pronoun is attached to the infinitive form in certain syntactic contexts.

Grammar and usage

Medirlas is formed by placing the pronoun las directly after the verb in its infinitive, producing medirlas. The pronoun refers to a previously mentioned or understood feminine plural noun, such as piezas, ropas, plantas, or medidas. Other gender and number combinations use corresponding pronouns, for example medirlos (masculine plural) or medirlas (feminine plural). The pronoun can also appear in different positions depending on the sentence structure, for instance: voy a medirlas, las voy a medir, o necesito medirlas.

Contexts and examples

Medirlas is common in practical contexts where dimensions or quantities must be checked. For example: Necesito medirlas para confirmar sus dimensiones. Vamos a medirlas antes de la compra. Las voy a medir para ver si cumplen el tamaño requerido. These examples illustrate how the phrase is used to refer to feminine plural items whose measurements are being determined.

Related terms

Medir, the base verb, is irregular in some tenses (e.g., mido, mides, mide, medimos). When forming phrases with object pronouns, speakers may choose different sentence orders, such as placing the pronoun before the conjugated verb or attaching it to the infinitive.

See also

Measuring procedures, Spanish pronouns, verb conjugation.