Agradecer Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
agradecer means "to thank" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows agradecer in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of agradecer, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with agradecer
Thanking a person
Agradecer a alguien means to thank a person: agradezco a mi profesora. The person is the direct object with the personal a, and por introduces the reason.
- Cada día, yo agradezco a mi profesora por su ayuda. — "Every day, I thank my teacher for her help."
- Hoy, él / ella agradece el regalo de cumpleaños. — "Today, he / she thanks the birthday present."
- Ayer, yo agradecí a los voluntarios. — "Yesterday, I thanked the volunteers."
- Antes, yo agradecía tu paciencia. — "Before, I used to thank your patience."
- Mañana, yo agradeceré a mi profesora por su ayuda. — "Tomorrow, I will thank my teacher for her help."
- Hoy, yo he agradecido el regalo de cumpleaños. — "Today, I have thanked the birthday present."
Thanking for a thing
Agradecer algo means to be thankful for a thing: agradezco el regalo. Here the thing is the direct object, and the sentence is simpler.
- Cada día, yo agradezco a los voluntarios. — "Every day, I thank the volunteers."
- Hoy, él / ella agradece tu paciencia. — "Today, he / she thanks your patience."
- Ayer, yo agradecí a mi profesora por su ayuda. — "Yesterday, I thanked my teacher for her help."
- Antes, yo agradecía el regalo de cumpleaños. — "Before, I used to thank the birthday present."
- Mañana, yo agradeceré a los voluntarios. — "Tomorrow, I will thank the volunteers."
- Hoy, yo he agradecido tu paciencia. — "Today, I have thanked your patience."
Agradecer in conversation
The two dialogues below show agradecer in natural conversation. The first is about thanking a person, and the second is about thanking for a thing. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú agradeces a mi profesora por su ayuda? — "Do you thank my teacher for her help?"
- Sí, yo agradezco a mi profesora por su ayuda cada día. — "Yes, I thank my teacher for her help every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú agradeciste el regalo de cumpleaños? — "And yesterday? Did you thank the birthday present?"
- Sí, ayer yo agradecí el regalo de cumpleaños. — "Yes, yesterday I thanked the birthday present."
- Mañana yo agradeceré a los voluntarios también. — "Tomorrow I will thank the volunteers too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros agradecéis a los voluntarios? — "Do you thank the volunteers?"
- Sí, nosotros agradecemos a los voluntarios los fines de semana. — "Yes, we thank the volunteers at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos agradecen tu paciencia? — "And them? Do they thank your patience?"
- Sí, ellos agradecen tu paciencia también. — "Yes, they thank your patience too."
- Mañana nosotros agradeceremos a los voluntarios otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will thank the volunteers again."
Common mistakes with agradecer in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo agradezco mi profesora.
- Right: Yo agradezco a mi profesora.
- Why: When the object is a person, agradecer needs the personal a: agradezco a mi profesora, agradezco a los voluntarios.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo agradeco tu paciencia.
- Right: Yo agradezco tu paciencia.
- Why: The yo form is agradezco, with a z. The c changes to zc before o: agradezco, agradeces, agradece.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Agradecer es lo mismo que dar las gracias.
- Right: They are close, but agradecer is more formal.
- Why: Dar las gracias is the everyday phrase. Agradecer is slightly more formal and more complete, and it is the verb you use in letters and speeches.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo agradecí a mi profesora por su ayuda.
- Right: Cada día, yo agradezco a mi profesora por su ayuda.
- Why: Cada día means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo agradezco a mi profesora por su ayuda ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo agradecí a mi profesora por su ayuda.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: agradecer in use
Ten questions on agradecer across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of agradecer in the present tense?
- (a) agradece
- (b) agradecemos
- (c) agradezco
- (d) agradeces
Answer: (c) agradezco. The i form in the present is agradezco.
2. What is the he / she form of agradecer in the present tense?
- (a) agradecemos
- (b) agradece
- (c) agradezco
- (d) agradeces
Answer: (b) agradece. The he / she form in the present is agradece.
3. What is the he / she form of agradecer in the preterite tense?
- (a) agradeció
- (b) agradecí
- (c) agradeciste
- (d) agradecimos
Answer: (a) agradeció. The he / she form in the preterite is agradeció.
4. What is the i form of agradecer in the imperfect tense?
- (a) agradezco
- (b) agradecí
- (c) agradeceré
- (d) agradecía
Answer: (d) agradecía. The i form in the imperfect is agradecía. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of agradecer in the future tense?
- (a) agradecerá
- (b) agradeceremos
- (c) agradeceré
- (d) agradecerás
Answer: (c) agradeceré. The i form in the future is agradeceré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) agradecí
- (b) agradecía
- (c) agradezco
- (d) he agradecido
Answer: (d) he agradecido. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he agradecido.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a mi profesora por su ayuda.
- (a) agradecía
- (b) agradezca
- (c) agradece
- (d) agradeció
Answer: (b) agradezca. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: agradezca. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of agradecer in the present tense?
- (a) agradezco
- (b) agradeces
- (c) agradece
- (d) agradecemos
Answer: (d) agradecemos. The we form in the present is agradecemos.
9. What is the i form of agradecer in the preterite tense?
- (a) agradeció
- (b) agradecimos
- (c) agradecí
- (d) agradeciste
Answer: (c) agradecí. The i form in the preterite is agradecí.
10. What is the they form of agradecer in the present tense?
- (a) agradece
- (b) agradecen
- (c) agradezco
- (d) agradeces
Answer: (b) agradecen. The they form in the present is agradecen.
Frequently asked questions about agradecer
Why is it agradezco and not agradeco?
Because -ecer verbs change c to zc before o: agradezco, ofrezco, entristezco. It keeps the soft c sound, and it is a spelling change.
Does agradecer take a or por?
Both: agradezco a mi profesora por su ayuda. The a goes before the person you thank, and por goes before the reason.
What is the difference between agradecer and dar las gracias?
Dar las gracias is the everyday phrase for saying thank you. Agradecer is the fuller, slightly more formal verb, and it is the one you use in writing.
How can I practise agradecer?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.