referirse a
verbCEFR B2
What does “referirse a” mean in English?
to refer to, to mean
to refer to, to mean (referirse a + noun — clarifying what is intended by a term or statement; precision in debate)
Example sentences
Cuando me refiero a una solución sostenible, me refiero no solo a la dimensión ambiental, sino también a la económica y social.
When I refer to a sustainable solution, I mean not only the environmental dimension, but also the economic and social ones.
¿A qué se refiere exactamente cuando habla de 'falta de transparencia'? ¿A la comunicación interna o a la externa?
What exactly are you referring to when you talk about 'lack of transparency'? Internal communication or external?
El artículo se refiere a estudios realizados hace más de veinte años, que pueden no ser aplicables al contexto actual.
The article refers to studies conducted more than twenty years ago, which may not be applicable to the current context.
How to use it
Referirse a means 'to refer to', 'to be referring to' — clarifying what one means or to what entity one is pointing. At B2 it is a precision tool in debate: 'Cuando digo X, me refiero a…', 'No me refería a eso cuando dije…'. Pattern: referirse a + noun (me refiero a los costes directos). It is reflexive (me refiero, te refieres, se refiere, nos referimos) and takes the preposition a. It is essential for disambiguation, which is a key B2 debate skill.
Common mistake
The preposition a is obligatory: referirse a, not *referirse sobre or *referirse de. The question form ¿a qué se refiere? (what are you referring to?) places the preposition at the front — Spanish does not strand prepositions the way English does. Don't confuse referirse a (point to/mean) with mencionar (mention) or citar (quote/cite) — referirse a identifies what something is about, not merely that it was mentioned. Reflexive pronoun is required: *'refiero a' is ungrammatical.