Abreviar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
abreviar means "to shorten, to abbreviate" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see abreviar with the word in the text, the speech for the meeting, the name on the list and the journey by the shortcut — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "Every day, I shorten the word in the text." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
abreviar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with abreviar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "Every day, I shorten the word in the text." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo abrevié el discurso para la reunión. — "Yesterday, I shortened the speech for the meeting." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo abreviaba el nombre en la lista. — "In the past, I used to shorten the name on the list." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros abreviaremos el camino por el atajo. — "Tomorrow, we will shorten the journey by the shortcut." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú abreviarías la palabra en el texto. — "If you could, you would shorten the word in the text." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he abreviado el discurso para la reunión. — "I have shortened the speech for the meeting." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él abrevia el nombre en la lista. — "Normally, he/she shortens the name on the list." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él abrevió el camino por el atajo. — "Yesterday, he/she shortened the journey by the shortcut." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros abreviábamos la palabra en el texto. — "In the past, we used to shorten the word in the text." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo abreviaré el discurso para la reunión. — "Tomorrow, I will shorten the speech for the meeting." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él abrevie el nombre en la lista. — "I hope that he/she shortens the name on the list." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Abrevia el camino por el atajo! — "Shorten the journey by the shortcut!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using abreviar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the word in the text, the speech for the meeting, the name on the list and the journey by the shortcut.
Dialogue 1: talking about the word in the text
Ana: ¿Tú abrevias la palabra en el texto? — "Do you shorten the word in the text?" Luis: Sí, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "I shorten the word in the text." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo abrevié el discurso para la reunión. — "Yesterday, I shortened the speech for the meeting." Ana: Mañana, nosotros abreviaremos el nombre en la lista. — "Tomorrow, we will shorten the name on the list." Luis: Si pudiera, yo abreviaría el camino por el atajo. — "If I could, I would shorten the journey by the shortcut." Ana: Antes, yo abreviaba el discurso para la reunión. — "In the past, I used to shorten the speech for the meeting." Luis: Yo he abreviado la palabra en el texto. — "I have shortened the word in the text." Ana: ¡Abrevia el nombre en la lista! — "Shorten the name on the list!"
In this dialogue abreviar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the name on the list
Ana: Él abrevia el nombre en la lista. — "he/she shortens the name on the list." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él abrevia el nombre en la lista todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she shortens the name on the list every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos abrevian el camino por el atajo. — "they shorten the journey by the shortcut." Luis: Ayer, ellos abreviaron el nombre en la lista. — "Yesterday, they shortened the name on the list." Ana: Espero que él abrevie el camino por el atajo. — "I hope that he/she shortens the journey by the shortcut." Luis: Mañana, él abreviará el nombre en la lista. — "Tomorrow, he/she will shorten the name on the list." Ana: Antes, nosotros abreviábamos el camino por el atajo. — "In the past, we used to shorten the journey by the shortcut." Luis: Nosotros abreviamos la palabra en el texto también. — "we shorten the word in the text too."
This dialogue shows abreviar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with abreviar
The errors learners actually make with abreviar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me abrevio la palabra en el texto.
- Right: Yo abrevio la palabra en el texto.
- Why: abreviar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo abreviar la palabra en el texto.
- Right: Yo abrevio la palabra en el texto.
- Why: The infinitive abreviar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form abrevio.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo abrevio el discurso para la reunión.
- Right: Ayer, yo abrevié el discurso para la reunión.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo abrevié el discurso para la reunión. — "Yesterday, I shortened the speech for the meeting."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy abreviado el nombre en la lista.
- Right: Estoy abreviando el nombre en la lista.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund abreviando for the progressive. The participle abreviado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he abreviado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros abrevia la palabra en el texto.
- Right: Nosotros abreviamos la palabra en el texto.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes abreviamos, while abrevia belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: abreviar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on abreviar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of abreviar in the present tense?
- (a) abrevias
- (b) abrevia
- (c) abreviamos
- (d) abrevio
Answer: (d) abrevio. The yo form is abrevio.
2. What is the tú form of abreviar in the present tense?
- (a) abrevia
- (b) abreviamos
- (c) abrevias
- (d) abrevio
Answer: (c) abrevias. The tú form is abrevias.
3. What is the él/ella form of abreviar in the present tense?
- (a) abreviamos
- (b) abrevia
- (c) abrevio
- (d) abrevias
Answer: (b) abrevia. The él/ella form is abrevia.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la palabra en el texto.
- (a) abrevio
- (b) abrevias
- (c) abrevia
- (d) abreviamos
Answer: (a) abrevio. The sentence needs the yo form abrevio.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el discurso para la reunión.
- (a) abreviaste
- (b) abrevió
- (c) abreviamos
- (d) abrevié
Answer: (d) abrevié. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is abrevié.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el nombre en la lista.
- (a) abreviábamos
- (b) abreviabais
- (c) abreviaba
- (d) abreviabas
Answer: (c) abreviaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is abreviaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ el camino por el atajo.
- (a) abreviaremos
- (b) abreviaré
- (c) abreviarás
- (d) abreviará
Answer: (b) abreviaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is abreviaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la palabra en el texto.
- (a) hemos abreviado
- (b) he abreviado
- (c) has abreviado
- (d) ha abreviado
Answer: (b) he abreviado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he abreviado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el nombre en la lista.
- (a) abrevies
- (b) abreviemos
- (c) abreviéis
- (d) abrevie
Answer: (d) abrevie. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is abrevie.
10. What does abreviar mean in English?
- (a) to hurt oneself
- (b) to nourish
- (c) to nourish oneself
- (d) to shorten, to abbreviate
Answer: (d) to shorten, to abbreviate. abreviar means "to shorten, to abbreviate" in English.
Frequently asked questions about abreviar
What does abreviar mean?
abreviar means "to shorten, to abbreviate" in English. Use it when you talk about the word in the text, the speech for the meeting, the name on the list and the journey by the shortcut — for example: Cada día, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "Every day, I shorten the word in the text."
Is there a reflexive form of abreviar?
No. abreviar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "Every day, I shorten the word in the text."
What is the most common mistake with abreviar?
The tense, not the form. Learners use the present tense for yesterday, or the preterite for a habit. Remember: Cada día, yo abrevio la palabra en el texto. — "Every day, I shorten the word in the text." is a habit, while Ayer, yo abrevié la palabra en el texto is one finished action.
How can I practise abreviar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.