intervenir
verbCEFR B2
What does “intervenir” mean in English?
to intervene, to take the floor
to intervene, to take the floor (to speak in a debate or meeting; intervenir en un debate / una reunión — formal)
Example sentences
¿Me permite intervenir un momento? Creo que hay un punto importante que no se ha abordado todavía.
May I intervene for a moment? I think there is an important point that has not yet been addressed.
Varios participantes quisieron intervenir tras la presentación para plantear sus dudas y comentarios.
Several participants wanted to speak after the presentation to raise their questions and comments.
El gobierno decidió intervenir en la negociación para acelerar el proceso y evitar un bloqueo definitivo.
The government decided to intervene in the negotiations to speed up the process and prevent a total deadlock.
How to use it
Intervenir in discourse-management contexts means 'to take the floor', 'to speak up', or 'to intervene in a discussion'. It is the formal register alternative to hablar / decir algo. Discourse-management patterns: ¿Puedo intervenir? (May I speak?) / Permítame intervenir (Allow me to intervene) / intervenir en un debate/una reunión. Intervenir also has a separate institutional meaning: 'to intervene in a situation' (intervenir en un conflicto) or 'to have an operation' (ser intervenido quirúrgicamente).
Common mistake
Over-formality: in a casual conversation, saying ¿Puedo intervenir? to join a chat sounds pedantic — use ¿Puedo decir algo? or ¿Puedo añadir algo? instead. The discourse-management meaning of intervenir is specifically formal: meetings, debates, hearings, panels. Don't confuse the three senses: (1) take the floor in a discussion; (2) intervene in a situation/conflict; (3) operate (medical). Context identifies the meaning but they are structurally distinct.