Alcanzar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
alcanzar means "to reach, to achieve" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows alcanzar 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 alcanzar, 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 alcanzar
Reaching a place
Alcanzar means to reach a physical place: alcanzo la cima. It is the verb for arriving somewhere after effort, and it is more formal than llegar.
- Cada día, yo alcanzo la cima de la montaña. — "Every day, I reach the top of the mountain."
- Hoy, él / ella alcanza mis objetivos este año. — "Today, he / she reaches my goals this year."
- Ayer, yo alcancé el tren de las ocho. — "Yesterday, I reached the eight o'clock train."
- Antes, yo alcanzaba un nivel alto de español. — "Before, I used to reach a high level of Spanish."
- Mañana, yo alcanzaré la cima de la montaña. — "Tomorrow, I will reach the top of the mountain."
- Hoy, yo he alcanzado mis objetivos este año. — "Today, I have reached my goals this year."
Achieving a goal
Alcanzar also means to achieve: alcanzo mis objetivos. In this use it means to reach a target through effort, and it appears in business, in sport and in personal goals.
- Cada día, yo alcanzo el tren de las ocho. — "Every day, I reach the eight o'clock train."
- Hoy, él / ella alcanza un nivel alto de español. — "Today, he / she reaches a high level of Spanish."
- Ayer, yo alcancé la cima de la montaña. — "Yesterday, I reached the top of the mountain."
- Antes, yo alcanzaba mis objetivos este año. — "Before, I used to reach my goals this year."
- Mañana, yo alcanzaré el tren de las ocho. — "Tomorrow, I will reach the eight o'clock train."
- Hoy, yo he alcanzado un nivel alto de español. — "Today, I have reached a high level of Spanish."
Alcanzar in conversation
The two dialogues below show alcanzar in natural conversation. The first is about reaching a place, and the second is about achieving a goal. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú alcanzas la cima de la montaña? — "Do you reach the top of the mountain?"
- Sí, yo alcanzo la cima de la montaña cada día. — "Yes, I reach the top of the mountain every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú alcanzaste mis objetivos este año? — "And yesterday? Did you reach my goals this year?"
- Sí, ayer yo alcancé mis objetivos este año. — "Yes, yesterday I reached my goals this year."
- Mañana yo alcanzaré el tren de las ocho también. — "Tomorrow I will reach the eight o'clock train too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros alcanzáis el tren de las ocho? — "Do you reach the eight o'clock train?"
- Sí, nosotros alcanzamos el tren de las ocho los fines de semana. — "Yes, we reach the eight o'clock train at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos alcanzan un nivel alto de español? — "And them? Do they reach a high level of Spanish?"
- Sí, ellos alcanzan un nivel alto de español también. — "Yes, they reach a high level of Spanish too."
- Mañana nosotros alcanzaremos el tren de las ocho otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will reach the eight o'clock train again."
Common mistakes with alcanzar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo alcanzo a la cima.
- Right: Yo alcanzo la cima.
- Why: Alcanzar takes a direct object with no preposition: alcanzo la cima, alcanzo mis objetivos. The a is not needed before a place.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo alcanzo mis objetivos, pero no los alcanzo.
- Right: Yo alcanzo mis objetivos.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. If you reach your goals, say so once, clearly.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Alcanzar es lo mismo que llegar.
- Right: Alcanzar means to reach through effort; llegar means to arrive.
- Why: Llegar is the general verb for arriving. Alcanzar adds effort and achievement: you reach something that was difficult to reach.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo alcancé la cima de la montaña.
- Right: Cada día, yo alcanzo la cima de la montaña.
- 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 alcanzo la cima de la montaña ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo alcancé la cima de la montaña.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: alcanzar in use
Ten questions on alcanzar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of alcanzar in the present tense?
- (a) alcanza
- (b) alcanzamos
- (c) alcanzo
- (d) alcanzas
Answer: (c) alcanzo. The i form in the present is alcanzo.
2. What is the he / she form of alcanzar in the present tense?
- (a) alcanzamos
- (b) alcanza
- (c) alcanzo
- (d) alcanzas
Answer: (b) alcanza. The he / she form in the present is alcanza.
3. What is the he / she form of alcanzar in the preterite tense?
- (a) alcanzó
- (b) alcancé
- (c) alcanzaste
- (d) alcanzamos
Answer: (a) alcanzó. The he / she form in the preterite is alcanzó.
4. What is the i form of alcanzar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) alcanzo
- (b) alcancé
- (c) alcanzaré
- (d) alcanzaba
Answer: (d) alcanzaba. The i form in the imperfect is alcanzaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of alcanzar in the future tense?
- (a) alcanzará
- (b) alcanzaremos
- (c) alcanzaré
- (d) alcanzarás
Answer: (c) alcanzaré. The i form in the future is alcanzaré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) alcancé
- (b) alcanzaba
- (c) alcanzo
- (d) he alcanzado
Answer: (d) he alcanzado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he alcanzado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la cima de la montaña.
- (a) alcanzaba
- (b) alcance
- (c) alcanza
- (d) alcanzó
Answer: (b) alcance. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: alcance. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of alcanzar in the present tense?
- (a) alcanzo
- (b) alcanzas
- (c) alcanza
- (d) alcanzamos
Answer: (d) alcanzamos. The we form in the present is alcanzamos.
9. What is the i form of alcanzar in the preterite tense?
- (a) alcanzó
- (b) alcanzamos
- (c) alcancé
- (d) alcanzaste
Answer: (c) alcancé. The i form in the preterite is alcancé.
10. What is the they form of alcanzar in the present tense?
- (a) alcanza
- (b) alcanzan
- (c) alcanzo
- (d) alcanzas
Answer: (b) alcanzan. The they form in the present is alcanzan.
Frequently asked questions about alcanzar
Is alcanzar regular?
Almost. It is a regular -ar verb with one spelling change: the preterite yo form is alcancé, with a c, to keep the soft sound. The present tense is fully regular.
What is the difference between alcanzar and llegar?
Llegar means to arrive. Alcanzar means to reach something, usually through effort. You llegar a casa; you alcanzar la cima.
Does alcanzar take a?
Usually not: alcanzo la cima. But alcanzar a + infinitive is a common structure meaning to manage to do something: no alcanzo a ver la pizarra.
How can I practise alcanzar?
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.