Apagar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
The Spanish verb apagar means to turn off. You can learn its forms from the full apagar conjugation, but forms on their own are not enough: you need to see the verb in real sentences, in conversation, and in the mistakes people actually make. That is what this page is for. Below you will find example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the common mistakes, a ten-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions learners ask most. One sentence to start: Yo apago la luz. — "I switch off the light."
Apagar example sentences
Everyday use — the present tense
- Yo apago la luz. — "I switch off the light."
- Tú apagas la televisión. — "you switch off the television."
- Él apaga el ordenador. — "he/she switches off the computer."
- Nosotros apagamos las luces del árbol. — "we switch off the lights on the tree."
Talking about the past
- Yo apagué el ordenador. — "I switched off the computer."
- Él apagaba las luces del árbol. — "he/she used to switch off the lights on the tree."
- Nosotros apagamos antes de dormir. — "we switched off before sleeping."
Plans and wishes
- Yo apagaré antes de dormir. — "I will switch off before sleeping."
- Tú apagarías al salir de casa. — "you would switch off when leaving the house."
More examples with apagar
- Apago la luz antes de dormir. — "I switch off the light before sleeping."
- Mi padre apaga la televisión al salir de casa. — "My father switches off the television when leaving the house."
- Ayer apagué una vela en el salón. — "Yesterday I put out a candle in the living room."
- De niña, apagaba la luz de mi habitación cada noche. — "As a girl, I used to switch off my bedroom light every night."
- Mañana apagaré el ordenador después de trabajar. — "Tomorrow I will switch off the computer after working."
- Si no tuviera prisa, apagaría la luz con calma. — "If I were not in a hurry, I would switch off the light calmly."
Apagar in conversation
Two short dialogues using apagar naturally. Read them out loud: hearing the verb in a question and an answer is the fastest way to make the forms stick.
Dialogue 1: making plans
María: ¿Tú apagas la luz? Carlos: Sí, yo apago la luz. ¿Y tú? María: Yo también. ¿Apaga la televisión? Carlos: Sí, él apaga la televisión todos los días. María: ¿Y mañana? ¿Tú apagarás el ordenador? Carlos: Sí, mañana yo apagaré el ordenador.
In this dialogue María asks Carlos what he does, and then they talk about tomorrow. Notice how the verb changes with the person: apagas for tú, apago for yo, apaga for él. The future forms at the end (apagarás, apagaré) show the same verb talking about tomorrow.
Dialogue 2: talking about yesterday
Ana: ¿Tú apagas las luces del árbol? Luis: Sí, yo apago las luces del árbol. ¿Y tú? Ana: Yo también. ¿Apaga antes de dormir? Luis: Sí, él apaga antes de dormir todos los días. Ana: ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú apagaste las luces del árbol? Luis: Sí, ayer yo apagué las luces del árbol.
Here Ana asks Luis about yesterday, so the answers use the preterite: apagué for yo, apagaste for tú. The preterite is the right choice because yesterday is finished; the present would describe a habit instead.
Common mistakes with apagar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.
1. Yo apaga la luz.
Wrong: Yo apaga la luz.
Right: Yo apago la luz.
The yo form ends in -o: apago. Apaga is the él/ella form.
2. Ayer yo apago una vela.
Wrong: Ayer yo apago una vela.
Right: Ayer yo apagué una vela.
A finished action yesterday needs the preterite, and the yo preterite changes g to gu: apagué, to keep the hard g sound.
3. Confusing apagar with encender
Wrong: Apago la luz.
Right: Enciendo la luz.
Apagar is switching off or putting out; encender is switching on or lighting. They are opposites: enciendes la luz al entrar y la apagas al salir.
4. Using the present for a finished past action
Wrong: Ayer yo apago la luz.
Right: Ayer yo apagué la luz.
Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: apagué. The present describes what you do now or usually.
Quiz: apagar in use
Ten questions across five tenses. Choose the right form for each sentence, then check the answers at the end of this section.
- Tú ___ la luz (present)
- a) apagas
- b) apago
- c) apaga
- d) apagamos
- Nosotros ___ la televisión (preterite)
- a) apagué
- b) apagaste
- c) apagó
- d) apagamos
- Ellos ___ el ordenador (imperfect)
- a) apagabas
- b) apagaba
- c) apagaban
- d) apagaba
- Tú ___ las luces del árbol (future)
- a) apagaremos
- b) apagarás
- c) apagaré
- d) apagará
- Nosotros ___ antes de dormir (conditional)
- a) apagaríamos
- b) apagaría
- c) apagarías
- d) apagaría
- Ellos ___ al salir de casa (present)
- a) apago
- b) apagas
- c) apaga
- d) apagan
- Tú ___ la luz (preterite)
- a) apagó
- b) apagamos
- c) apagaste
- d) apagué
- Nosotros ___ la televisión (imperfect)
- a) apagaba
- b) apagábamos
- c) apagaba
- d) apagabas
- Ellos ___ el ordenador (future)
- a) apagarán
- b) apagaré
- c) apagarás
- d) apagará
- Tú ___ las luces del árbol (conditional)
- a) apagaría
- b) apagaría
- c) apagaríamos
- d) apagarías
Answers
- a) apagas — the present form, for tú.
- d) apagamos — the preterite form, for nosotros/as.
- c) apagaban — the imperfect form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- b) apagarás — the future form, for tú.
- a) apagaríamos — the conditional form, for nosotros/as.
- d) apagan — the present form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- c) apagaste — the preterite form, for tú.
- b) apagábamos — the imperfect form, for nosotros/as.
- a) apagarán — the future form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- d) apagarías — the conditional form, for tú.
Frequently asked questions about apagar
Why is the yo preterite apagué and not apagé?
Verbs ending in -gar change g to gu before e, to keep the hard g sound: yo apagué, but tú apagaste, él apagó. The present is not affected: yo apago.
Is apagar regular?
Almost. It is regular except for the -gar spelling change in the yo preterite (apagué). The present is fully regular: apago, apagas, apaga, apagamos, apagáis, apagan.
What are the gerund and the past participle of apagar?
The gerund is apagando, used with estar for the progressive (estoy apagando), and the past participle is apagado, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he apagado).
Is apagar regular?
Yes, it is a regular -ar verb. The present is apago, apagas, apaga, apagamos, apagáis, apagan, and the full tables are on the apagar conjugation page.
How to remember apagar
Four small habits will fix apagar in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: apago, apagas, apaga, apagamos, apagáis, apagan. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (apago), one about yesterday with the preterite (apagué), and one about tomorrow with the future (apagaré). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from encender: Apagar is switching off or putting out; encender is switching on or lighting. They are opposites: enciendes la luz al entrar y la apagas al salir. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund apagando and the past participle apagado. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy apagando) and the present perfect (he apagado), which covers most everyday conversation.
Related pages
- Apagar conjugation: full tables — every tense of apagar on one page.
- Apagar Present tense — the deep dive on apagar in the present.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for all Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Spanish verb quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Conjugation practice — fill-in-the-blank drills with instant feedback.