Aducir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

aducir means “to adduce, to cite” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Aducir means to adduce or to cite, to put forward a reason, an argument or evidence in a discussion or a trial. It is a formal verb, and it belongs to the -ducir family: the present is aduzco and the preterite uses the stem aduj-. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of aducir; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the aducir present tense page.

aducir in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo aduzco razones en su defensa. — “I cite reasons in his defence.”
  2. Él aduce pruebas ante el juez. — “He cites evidence before the judge.”
  3. Nosotros aducimos argumentos en el debate. — “We cite arguments in the debate.”
  4. Ellos aducen ejemplos para apoyar su idea. — “They cite examples to support his idea.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo aduje pruebas ante el juez. — “Yesterday, I cited evidence before the judge.”
  2. Antes, nosotros aducíamos argumentos en el debate. — “Before, we used to cite arguments in the debate.”
  3. Él adujo ejemplos para apoyar su idea. — “He cited examples to support his idea.”
  4. Yo ya había aducido razones en su defensa antes de salir. — “I had already cited reasons in his defence before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú aducirás razones en su defensa. — “Tomorrow, you will cite reasons in his defence.”
  2. Yo aduciría pruebas ante el juez si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would cite evidence before the judge if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha aducido argumentos en el debate. — “He has cited arguments in the debate.”
  4. Espero que él aduzca ejemplos para apoyar su idea. — “I hope he cites examples to support his idea.”

aducir in conversation

Two short dialogues that use aducir the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo aduzco razones en su defensa. — “I cite reasons in his defence.”
  • Bea: Él aduce pruebas ante el juez. — “He cites evidence before the judge.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo aduje pruebas ante el juez. — “Yesterday, I cited evidence before the judge.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú aducirás razones en su defensa. — “Tomorrow, you will cite reasons in his defence.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros aducimos argumentos en el debate. — “We cite arguments in the debate.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros aducíamos argumentos en el debate. — “Before, we used to cite arguments in the debate.”
  • Luis: Yo aduciría pruebas ante el juez si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would cite evidence before the judge if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él aduzca ejemplos para apoyar su idea. — “I hope he cites examples to support his idea.”

A short scene with aducir

A short scene shows how aducir works across the day. In the morning: Aduzco razones en su defensa. In the afternoon: Aduce pruebas ante el juez. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, aduje argumentos en el debate. And tomorrow: Mañana, aduciré ejemplos para apoyar su idea. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how aducir sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with aducir

The errors learners actually make with aducir, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo aduce razones en su defensa.

✓ Correct: Yo aduzco razones en su defensa.

The person matters: aduce is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aduzco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Yo aduco pruebas ante el juez.

✓ Correct: Yo aduzco pruebas ante el juez.

Aducir belongs to the -ducir family: the first-person present is aduzco, never aduco. The other persons keep the stem aduc-.

✗ Treating aducir and citar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Aducir means to adduce, to cite, while citar means to quote or cite.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aducir fits sentences such as Aduzco razones en su defensa, while citar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy aducido pruebas ante el juez.

✓ Correct: Yo he aducido pruebas ante el juez.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aducido, has aducido, ha aducido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo aduje argumentos en el debate todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo aducía argumentos en el debate todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aducía), not the preterite. The preterite (aduje) is for one finished action.

Quiz: aducir in use

Ten questions on aducir — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ pruebas ante el juez. — “He/she cites evidence before the judge.”

  • a) aduce
  • b) aduzco
  • c) aduces
  • d) aducimos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ argumentos en el debate. — “Yesterday, I cited arguments in the debate.”

  • a) adujiste
  • b) adujo
  • c) adujeron
  • d) aduje

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ ejemplos para apoyar su idea cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to cite examples to support his idea when they were young.”

  • a) aducías
  • b) aducíamos
  • c) aducían
  • d) aducía

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ razones en su defensa. — “Tomorrow, we will cite reasons in his defence.”

  • a) aducirán
  • b) aduciremos
  • c) aduciré
  • d) aducirás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ pruebas ante el juez si pudiera. — “He would cite evidence before the judge if he could.”

  • a) aduciría
  • b) aducirías
  • c) aduciríamos
  • d) aduzco

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ argumentos en el debate. — “I have cited arguments in the debate.”

  • a) has aducido
  • b) ha aducido
  • c) han aducido
  • d) he aducido

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ ejemplos para apoyar su idea. — “I hope you cite examples to support his idea.”

  • a) aduzcamos
  • b) aduzco
  • c) aduzcas
  • d) aduzca

8. Which is the past participle of aducir, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) aduje
  • b) aducido
  • c) aduciendo
  • d) aduzco

9. What does aducir mean in English?

  • a) to adduce, to cite
  • b) to quote or cite
  • c) to secure, to strengthen
  • d) to sharpen

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él aduce pruebas ante el juez.
  • b) Él aduzco pruebas ante el juez.
  • c) Nosotros aduce argumentos en el debate.
  • d) Yo aduce razones en su defensa.

Answer key

  1. a) aduce — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: aduce.

  2. d) aduje — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: aduje, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) aducían — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: aducían, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) aduciremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: aduciremos.

  5. a) aduciría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: aduciría.

  6. d) he aducido — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he aducido, haber + aducido.

  7. c) aduzcas — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is aduzcas.

  8. b) aducido — The past participle is aducido: he aducido, has aducido, ha aducido. The gerund aduciendo is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to adduce, to cite — aducir means to adduce, to cite. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él aduce pruebas ante el juez. — Él aduce pruebas ante el juez. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use aducir in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Aduzco razones en su defensa and Aduce pruebas ante el juez. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between aducir and citar?

Aducir means “to adduce, to cite”, while citar means “to quote or cite”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use aducir when you mean “to adduce, to cite” and citar when you mean “to quote or cite”.

Which tense do I need most with aducir?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use aducir most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is aducir formal or informal?

Aducir is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

Related links