Aludir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
aludir means “to allude to” 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. Aludir means to allude to something, to refer to it indirectly without naming it. It is a formal verb used in speaking and writing, always with a, and it is fully regular. 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 aludir; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the aludir present tense page.
aludir in everyday use: examples with translations
In the present tense
- Yo aludo al problema sin nombrarlo. — “I allude the problem without naming it.”
- Él alude a su pasado en la entrevista. — “He alludes his past in the interview.”
- Nosotros aludimos al tema con una sonrisa. — “We allude the subject with a smile.”
- Ellos aluden a la historia de la familia. — “They allude the family history.”
In the past
- Ayer, yo aludí a su pasado en la entrevista. — “Yesterday, I alluded his past in the interview.”
- Antes, nosotros aludíamos al tema con una sonrisa. — “Before, we used to allude the subject with a smile.”
- Él aludió a la historia de la familia. — “He alluded the family history.”
- Yo ya había aludido al problema sin nombrarlo antes de salir. — “I had already alluded the problem without naming it before leaving.”
Plans, hopes and possibilities
- Mañana, tú aludirás al problema sin nombrarlo. — “Tomorrow, you will allude the problem without naming it.”
- Yo aludiría a su pasado en la entrevista si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would allude his past in the interview if I had more time.”
- Él ha aludido al tema con una sonrisa. — “He has alluded the subject with a smile.”
- Espero que él aluda a la historia de la familia. — “I hope he alludes the family history.”
aludir in conversation
Two short dialogues that use aludir 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 aludo al problema sin nombrarlo. — “I allude the problem without naming it.”
- Bea: Él alude a su pasado en la entrevista. — “He alludes his past in the interview.”
- Ana: Ayer, yo aludí a su pasado en la entrevista. — “Yesterday, I alluded his past in the interview.”
- Bea: Mañana, tú aludirás al problema sin nombrarlo. — “Tomorrow, you will allude the problem without naming it.”
At home, talking about tomorrow.
- Luis: Nosotros aludimos al tema con una sonrisa. — “We allude the subject with a smile.”
- Marta: Antes, nosotros aludíamos al tema con una sonrisa. — “Before, we used to allude the subject with a smile.”
- Luis: Yo aludiría a su pasado en la entrevista si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would allude his past in the interview if I had more time.”
- Marta: Espero que él aluda a la historia de la familia. — “I hope he alludes the family history.”
A short scene with aludir
A short scene shows how aludir works across the day. In the morning: Aludo al problema sin nombrarlo. In the afternoon: Alude a su pasado en la entrevista. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, aludí al tema con una sonrisa. And tomorrow: Mañana, aludiré a la historia de la familia. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how aludir 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 aludir
The errors learners actually make with aludir, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo alude al problema sin nombrarlo.
✓ Correct: Yo aludo al problema sin nombrarlo.
The person matters: alude is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aludo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
✗ Ayer yo aludo a su pasado en la entrevista.
✓ Correct: Ayer yo aludí a su pasado en la entrevista.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: aludo is happening now, while aludí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating aludir and mencionar as identical in every context.
✓ Correct: Aludir means to allude to, while mencionar means to mention.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aludir fits sentences such as Aludo al problema sin nombrarlo, while mencionar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
✗ Yo soy aludido a su pasado en la entrevista.
✓ Correct: Yo he aludido a su pasado en la entrevista.
Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aludido, has aludido, ha aludido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
✗ De niño, yo aludí al tema con una sonrisa todos los días.
✓ Correct: De niño, yo aludía al tema con una sonrisa todos los días.
For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aludía), not the preterite. The preterite (aludí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: aludir in use
Ten questions on aludir — 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 ______ a su pasado en la entrevista. — “He/she alludes his past in the interview.”
- a) alude
- b) aludo
- c) aludes
- d) aludimos
2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ al tema con una sonrisa. — “Yesterday, I alluded the subject with a smile.”
- a) aludiste
- b) aludió
- c) aludieron
- d) aludí
3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ a la historia de la familia cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to allude the family history when they were young.”
- a) aludías
- b) aludíamos
- c) aludían
- d) aludía
4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ al problema sin nombrarlo. — “Tomorrow, we will allude the problem without naming it.”
- a) aludirán
- b) aludiremos
- c) aludiré
- d) aludirás
5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ a su pasado en la entrevista si pudiera. — “He would allude his past in the interview if he could.”
- a) aludiría
- b) aludirías
- c) aludiríamos
- d) aludo
6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ al tema con una sonrisa. — “I have alluded the subject with a smile.”
- a) has aludido
- b) ha aludido
- c) han aludido
- d) he aludido
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ a la historia de la familia. — “I hope you allude the family history.”
- a) aludamos
- b) aludo
- c) aludas
- d) aluda
8. Which is the past participle of aludir, used with haber in the perfect tenses?
- a) aludí
- b) aludido
- c) aludiendo
- d) aludo
9. What does aludir mean in English?
- a) to allude to
- b) to mention
- c) to light up
- d) to raise, to lift
10. Which sentence is correct?
- a) Él alude a su pasado en la entrevista.
- b) Él aludo a su pasado en la entrevista.
- c) Nosotros alude al tema con una sonrisa.
- d) Yo alude al problema sin nombrarlo.
Answer key
a) alude — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: alude.
d) aludí — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: aludí, for one finished action yesterday.
c) aludían — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: aludían, for a repeated past habit.
b) aludiremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: aludiremos.
a) aludiría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: aludiría.
d) he aludido — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he aludido, haber + aludido.
c) aludas — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is aludas.
b) aludido — The past participle is aludido: he aludido, has aludido, ha aludido. The gerund aludiendo is used with estar instead.
a) to allude to — aludir means to allude to. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
a) Él alude a su pasado en la entrevista. — Él alude a su pasado en la entrevista. 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 aludir in everyday conversation?
Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Aludo al problema sin nombrarlo and Alude a su pasado en la entrevista. 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 aludir and mencionar?
Aludir means “to allude to”, while mencionar means “to mention”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use aludir when you mean “to allude to” and mencionar when you mean “to mention”.
Which tense do I need most with aludir?
The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use aludir 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 aludir formal or informal?
Aludir 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
- Full conjugation of aludir — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- aludir present tense — the full present tense table, formation and usage rules.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Aturdir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with aludir.
- Aducir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with aludir.
- Departir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with aludir.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.