verb
gobernar
govern
Es la acción de mandar o dirigir un país, una ciudad o un grupo de personas para que todo funcione bien.
Definition & meaning
- To govern or rule: to exercise political authority over a country, region, or people.
- To manage or direct: to control or guide an organization, situation, or activity.
- To control or guide behavior: to influence how someone acts or how something operates.
- Nautical: to steer or control a vessel.
Grammar & Word origin
- A verb that can be transitive (“govern a country”) or intransitive (“be in power”).
- It is an irregular -ar verb: the stem changes from e to ie in forms such as gobierna (“he or she governs”).
- It comes from Latin gubernāre, originally meaning “to steer a ship.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- regir — to rule or regulate; often more formal.
- dirigir — to direct or lead, especially an organization or activity.
- administrar — to manage practical affairs or resources, rather than necessarily exercising political power.
Antonyms
- obedecer — to obey, rather than exercise authority.
- descontrolar — to cause something to get out of control, the opposite of controlling it.
Common phrases & collocations
Make “gobernar” part of your vocabulary.
Build your Spanish vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
El presidente quiere gobernar con justicia.verb
The president wants to govern with justice.
Keep exploring Spanish
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad