referir (un episodio)
verbCEFR B2
What does “referir (un episodio)” mean in English?
1.to relate, to recount
to relate, to recount (an episode) (referir un episodio / refirió lo ocurrido — formal reported narrative)
2.to refer to
to refer to (referirse a algo — different reflexive construction)
Example sentences
El testigo refirió los hechos ante el juez con una calma que sorprendió a todos los presentes.
The witness recounted the facts before the judge with a composure that surprised everyone present.
En la autobiografía, la autora refiere varios episodios de su infancia que marcaron su forma de entender el mundo.
In the autobiography, the author recounts several episodes from her childhood that shaped her understanding of the world.
Quiero referirme ahora al incidente que mencioné al principio, porque creo que tiene una importancia que no debe subestimarse.
I want to refer now to the incident I mentioned at the beginning, because I think it has an importance that should not be underestimated.
How to use it
Referir (un episodio) means 'to relate' or 'to recount' an episode — a formal written-register verb for account-giving of a specific event or incident. It is more formal than contar and slightly less analytical than narrar. Pattern: referir lo ocurrido, referir un episodio, refirió con detalle. Reflexive referirse a means 'to refer to' — a completely different sense that must be distinguished. At B2, controlling this sense distinction is essential: referir (transitive) = recount; referirse a (reflexive) = refer to.
Common mistake
The reflexive/transitive distinction is the key learning point: referir (no reflexive) = to recount; referirse a (reflexive) = to refer to. This pair is a B2 accuracy marker. Also: referir is formal — in casual speech, contar is normal. The pair contar (casual) / relatar (formal non-literary) / referir (formal, incident-specific) / narrar (literary/technical) forms a B2 register gradient.