reducir
verbCEFR B1
What does “reducir” mean in English?
to reduce / to cut
to reduce / to cut (make something smaller in quantity or degree)
Example sentences
Para reducir las emisiones de carbono necesitamos tanto cambios individuales como políticas públicas a gran escala.
To reduce carbon emissions we need both individual changes and large-scale public policies.
El gobierno ha prometido reducir las emisiones en un treinta por ciento antes de que termine la próxima década.
The government has promised to reduce emissions by thirty per cent before the end of the next decade.
Es necesario que reduzcan la producción de plástico de un solo uso si quieren cumplir los objetivos climáticos.
It is necessary for them to reduce the production of single-use plastic if they want to meet climate targets.
How to use it
Reducir means 'to reduce' or 'to cut' — to make something smaller in quantity, size, or degree. It is irregular in the 1sg present indicative (yo reduzco) and throughout the subjunctive (reduzca). Key collocates: reducir emisiones/residuos/consumo, reducir la huella de carbono. In environmental discourse reducir is part of the 3R framework (reducir, reutilizar, reciclar).
Common mistake
The irregular yo form is yo reduzco — the pattern is shared with conducir, producir, and traducir (all -ucir verbs). Students often forget this irregularity and write *yo reduco. The subjunctive forms (que reduzca, que reduzcamos) follow the yo stem: reduzc-. Do not confuse with recortar (to cut/trim a budget) which implies cost-cutting more than environmental reduction.