Aplaudir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

aplaudir means “to applaud” 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. Aplaudir means to applaud, and it is used for clapping at a concert, a theatre performance, a speech or a goal. It is a regular -ir verb and a classic verb of audiences and celebrations. 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 aplaudir; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the aplaudir present tense page.

aplaudir in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto. — I applaud the singer at the concert.
  2. Él/Ella aplaude al actor al final de la obra. — He applauds the actor at the end of the play.
  3. Nosotros/as aplaudimos el gol del equipo. — We applaud the team's goal.
  4. Ellos/as aplauden al orador después del discurso. — They applaud the speaker after the speech.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo aplaudí el gol del equipo. — Yesterday, I applauded the team's goal.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as aplaudíamos al orador después del discurso. — Before, We used to applaud the speaker after the speech.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella aplaudió al cantante en el concierto. — Yesterday, He applauded the singer at the concert.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as aplaudían al actor al final de la obra. — As children, They used to applaud the actor at the end of the play.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú aplaudirás al cantante en el concierto. — Tomorrow, You will applaud the singer at the concert.
  2. Yo aplaudiría al actor al final de la obra. — I would applaud the actor at the end of the play.
  3. Espero que él aplauda el gol del equipo. — I hope he applauds the team's goal.
  4. Él/Ella ha aplaudido al orador después del discurso. — He has applauded the speaker after the speech.

aplaudir in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú aplaudes al cantante en el concierto mañana? — Are you going to applaud the singer at the concert tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto todos los días. — Yes, I applaud the singer at the concert every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana aplaudirás al actor al final de la obra? — And tomorrow, will you applaud the actor at the end of the play? Luis: Claro, mañana aplaudiré al actor al final de la obra sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will applaud the actor at the end of the play without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo aplaudiré el gol del equipo también. — Perfect. I will applaud the team's goal too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer aplaudí el gol del equipo. — Yesterday, I applauded the team's goal. Ana: ¿Y antes aplaudías al orador después del discurso? — And before, did you use to applaud the speaker after the speech? Luis: Sí, antes aplaudía al orador después del discurso todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to applaud the speaker after the speech every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos aplaudieron al cantante en el concierto? — And did your brothers applauded the singer at the concert? Luis: Sí, ellos aplaudieron al cantante en el concierto por la tarde. — Yes, they applauded the singer at the concert in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo aplaude al cantante en el concierto. — Right: Yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto. — The person matters: aplaude is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aplaudo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating aplaudir and ovacionar as identical in every context. — Right: Aplaudir means to applaud, while ovacionar means to give someone a standing ovation. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aplaudir fits sentences such as Aplaudo al cantante en el concierto, while ovacionar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy aplaudido al actor al final de la obra. — Right: Yo he aplaudido al actor al final de la obra. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aplaudido, has aplaudido, ha aplaudido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo aplaudí el gol del equipo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aplaudía el gol del equipo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aplaudía), not the preterite. The preterite (aplaudí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ al orador después del discurso. (present tense) A. aplauden B. aplaudo C. aplaudes D. aplaude

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ al cantante en el concierto. (preterite tense) A. aplaudí B. aplaudiste C. aplaudió D. aplaudimos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ al actor al final de la obra. (imperfect tense) A. aplaudíamos B. aplaudíais C. aplaudías D. aplaudía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ el gol del equipo. (future tense) A. aplaudiremos B. aplaudirá C. aplaudiré D. aplaudirás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ al orador después del discurso. (conditional tense) A. aplaudiríamos B. aplaudiría C. aplaudirías D. aplaudiríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ al cantante en el concierto. (present-perfect tense) A. has aplaudido B. ha aplaudido C. hemos aplaudido D. he aplaudido

  7. What does aplaudir mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to applaud D. to give someone a standing ovation

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo aplaudí el gol del equipo. B. Yo aplaude al cantante en el concierto. C. Yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto. D. Él/Ella aplaude al actor al final de la obra.

  9. Which is the gerund of aplaudir, used with estar for the progressive? A. aplaudiendo B. aplaudido C. aplaudo D. aplaudí

  10. Which is the past participle of aplaudir, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. aplaudiendo B. aplaudo C. aplaudí D. aplaudido

Answer key

  1. aplauden — The correct form here is aplauden.
  2. aplaudimos — The correct form here is aplaudimos.
  3. aplaudías — The correct form here is aplaudías.
  4. aplaudirá — The correct form here is aplaudirá.
  5. aplaudiríamos — The correct form here is aplaudiríamos.
  6. he aplaudido — The correct form here is he aplaudido.
  7. to applaud — Aplaudir means to applaud. Ovacionar means to give someone a standing ovation, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo aplaude al cantante en el concierto. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto.. The person matters: aplaude is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aplaudo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. aplaudiendo — The gerund of aplaudir is aplaudiendo: estoy aplaudiendo.
  10. aplaudido — The past participle of aplaudir is aplaudido: he aplaudido, has aplaudido, ha aplaudido.

Frequently asked questions

What does aplaudir mean?

Aplaudir means to applaud. Aplaudir means to applaud, and it is used for clapping at a concert, a theatre performance, a speech or a goal. It is a regular -ir verb and a classic verb of audiences and celebrations.

When do people use aplaudir most?

People use aplaudir most in everyday situations such as Yo aplaudo al cantante en el concierto. and Ayer, Yo aplaudí el gol del equipo.. 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 aplaudir and ovacionar?

Aplaudir means to applaud, while ovacionar means to give someone a standing ovation. 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 aplaudir?

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

Related links