Agradar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

agradar means “to please” 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. Agradar means to please, and it works like gustar: the thing that pleases is the subject, and the person pleased is an indirect object, as in me agrada tu idea, your idea pleases me. It is a polite, slightly formal verb for liking something, common in letters, speeches and careful conversation. 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 agradar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the agradar present tense page.

agradar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with agradar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Me agrada tu idea. — Your idea pleases me.
  2. Le agrada la propuesta. — The proposal pleases him.
  3. Nos agrada el plan. — The plan pleases us.
  4. Les agrada la música. — The music pleases them.

In the past

Four sentences with agradar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, me agradó el plan. — Yesterday, The plan pleased me.
  2. Antes, nos agradaba la música. — Before, The music used to please us.
  3. Ayer, le agradó tu idea. — Yesterday, Your idea pleased him.
  4. De niños, les agradaba la propuesta. — As children, The proposal used to please them.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with agradar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, te agradará tu idea. — Tomorrow, Your idea will please you.
  2. Me agradaría la propuesta. — The proposal would please me.
  3. Espero que le agrade el plan. — I hope the plan pleases him.
  4. Le ha agradado la música. — The music has pleased him.

agradar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Te agrada tu idea? — Do you like your idea? Luis: Sí, me agrada tu idea mucho. — Yes, your idea pleases me a lot. Ana: ¿Y mañana te agradará la propuesta? — And tomorrow, will the proposal please you? Luis: Claro, mañana me agradará la propuesta también. — Of course, tomorrow the proposal will please me too. Ana: Perfecto. A mí también me agrada el plan. — Perfect. The plan pleases me too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué pasó ayer? — What happened yesterday? Luis: Ayer me agradó el plan. — Yesterday, The plan pleased me. Ana: ¿Y antes te agradaba la música? — And before, did the music use to please you? Luis: Sí, antes me agradaba la música todos los días. — Yes, before, the music used to please me every day. Ana: ¿Y a tus hermanos les agrada tu idea? — And do your brothers like your idea? Luis: Sí, a ellos también les agrada tu idea. — Yes, your idea pleases them too.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo agrado tu idea. — Right: Me agrada tu idea. — Agradar works like gustar: the thing that pleases is the subject, and the person is an indirect object (me, te, le, nos, os, les). The verb agrees with the thing, not with the person.
  2. Wrong: Treating agradar and gustar as identical in every context. — Right: Agradar means to please, while gustar means to like something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: agradar fits sentences such as Me agrada tu idea, while gustar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy agradado la propuesta. — Right: Yo he agradado la propuesta. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he agradado, has agradado, ha agradado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo agradé el plan todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo agradaba el plan todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (agradaba), not the preterite. The preterite (agradé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on agradar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Les ___ la música. (present tense) A. agrada B. agrado C. agradas D. agradamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, nos ___ tu idea. (preterite tense) A. agradé B. agradaste C. agradamos D. agradó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, te ___ la propuesta. (imperfect tense) A. agradábamos B. agradabais C. agradaba D. agradabas

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, le ___ el plan. (future tense) A. agradaremos B. agradará C. agradaré D. agradarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nos ___ la música. (conditional tense) A. agradaría B. agradarías C. agradaríamos D. agradaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, me ___ tu idea. (present-perfect tense) A. he agradado B. has agradado C. hemos agradado D. ha agradado

  7. What does agradar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to please D. to like something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, me agradó el plan. B. Yo agrado tu idea. C. Me agrada tu idea. D. Le agrada la propuesta.

  9. Which is the gerund of agradar, used with estar for the progressive? A. agradando B. agradado C. agrado D. agradé

  10. Which is the past participle of agradar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. agradando B. agrado C. agradé D. agradado

Answer key

  1. agrada — The correct form here is agrada.
  2. agradó — The correct form here is agradó.
  3. agradaba — The correct form here is agradaba.
  4. agradará — The correct form here is agradará.
  5. agradaría — The correct form here is agradaría.
  6. ha agradado — The correct form here is ha agradado.
  7. to please — Agradar means to please. Gustar means to like something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo agrado tu idea. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Me agrada tu idea.. Agradar works like gustar: the thing that pleases is the subject, and the person is an indirect object (me, te, le, nos, os, les). The verb agrees with the thing, not with the person.
  9. agradando — The gerund of agradar is agradando: estoy agradando.
  10. agradado — The past participle of agradar is agradado: he agradado, has agradado, ha agradado.

Frequently asked questions

What does agradar mean?

Agradar means to please. Agradar means to please, and it works like gustar: the thing that pleases is the subject, and the person pleased is an indirect object, as in me agrada tu idea, your idea pleases me. It is a polite, slightly formal verb for liking something, common in letters, speeches and careful conversation.

When do people use agradar most?

People use agradar most in everyday situations such as Me agrada tu idea. and Ayer, me agradó el plan.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between agradar and gustar?

Agradar means to please, while gustar means to like something. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of agradar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of agradar as your reference, the agradar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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