Apoyar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
apoyar means "to support" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows apoyar 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 apoyar, 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 apoyar
Supporting people
Apoyar a alguien means to support a person: apoyo a mi familia, apoyo a los estudiantes. The personal a is required before a person, and it is the first thing to learn about this verb.
- Cada día, yo apoyo a mi familia. — "Every day, I support my family."
- Hoy, él / ella apoya la decisión del equipo. — "Today, he / she supports the team's decision."
- Ayer, yo apoyé a los estudiantes. — "Yesterday, I supported the students."
- Antes, yo apoyaba el proyecto nuevo. — "Before, I used to support the new project."
- Mañana, yo apoyaré a mi familia. — "Tomorrow, I will support my family."
- Hoy, yo he apoyado la decisión del equipo. — "Today, I have supported the team's decision."
Supporting ideas and projects
Apoyar also takes ideas, decisions and projects: apoyo la decisión, apoyo el proyecto. In this use it means to back something, to be in favour of it, and it appears constantly in work and in politics.
- Cada día, yo apoyo a los estudiantes. — "Every day, I support the students."
- Hoy, él / ella apoya el proyecto nuevo. — "Today, he / she supports the new project."
- Ayer, yo apoyé a mi familia. — "Yesterday, I supported my family."
- Antes, yo apoyaba la decisión del equipo. — "Before, I used to support the team's decision."
- Mañana, yo apoyaré a los estudiantes. — "Tomorrow, I will support the students."
- Hoy, yo he apoyado el proyecto nuevo. — "Today, I have supported the new project."
Apoyar in conversation
The two dialogues below show apoyar in natural conversation. The first is about supporting people, and the second is about supporting ideas and projects. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú apoyas a mi familia? — "Do you support my family?"
- Sí, yo apoyo a mi familia cada día. — "Yes, I support my family every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú apoyaste la decisión del equipo? — "And yesterday? Did you support the team's decision?"
- Sí, ayer yo apoyé la decisión del equipo. — "Yes, yesterday I supported the team's decision."
- Mañana yo apoyaré a los estudiantes también. — "Tomorrow I will support the students too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros apoyáis a los estudiantes? — "Do you support the students?"
- Sí, nosotros apoyamos a los estudiantes los fines de semana. — "Yes, we support the students at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos apoyan el proyecto nuevo? — "And them? Do they support the new project?"
- Sí, ellos apoyan el proyecto nuevo también. — "Yes, they support the new project too."
- Mañana nosotros apoyaremos a los estudiantes otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will support the students again."
Common mistakes with apoyar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo apoyo mi familia.
- Right: Yo apoyo a mi familia.
- Why: When the object is a person, apoyar needs the personal a. Without it the sentence is wrong: apoyo a mi familia, apoyo a los estudiantes.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo apoyo la decisión, pero no la apoyo.
- Right: Yo apoyo la decisión.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. If you support the decision, say so once, clearly: yo apoyo la decisión del equipo.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Apoyar es lo mismo que soportar.
- Right: Apoyar means to support; soportar means to endure or to bear.
- Why: They look similar but they mean different things. Soportar un dolor means to bear a pain; apoyar a una persona means to stand behind them.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo apoyé a mi familia.
- Right: Cada día, yo apoyo a mi familia.
- 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 apoyo a mi familia ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo apoyé a mi familia.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: apoyar in use
Ten questions on apoyar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of apoyar in the present tense?
- (a) apoya
- (b) apoyamos
- (c) apoyo
- (d) apoyas
Answer: (c) apoyo. The i form in the present is apoyo.
2. What is the he / she form of apoyar in the present tense?
- (a) apoyamos
- (b) apoya
- (c) apoyo
- (d) apoyas
Answer: (b) apoya. The he / she form in the present is apoya.
3. What is the he / she form of apoyar in the preterite tense?
- (a) apoyó
- (b) apoyé
- (c) apoyaste
- (d) apoyamos
Answer: (a) apoyó. The he / she form in the preterite is apoyó.
4. What is the i form of apoyar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) apoyo
- (b) apoyé
- (c) apoyaré
- (d) apoyaba
Answer: (d) apoyaba. The i form in the imperfect is apoyaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of apoyar in the future tense?
- (a) apoyará
- (b) apoyaremos
- (c) apoyaré
- (d) apoyarás
Answer: (c) apoyaré. The i form in the future is apoyaré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) apoyé
- (b) apoyaba
- (c) apoyo
- (d) he apoyado
Answer: (d) he apoyado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he apoyado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a mi familia.
- (a) apoyaba
- (b) apoye
- (c) apoya
- (d) apoyó
Answer: (b) apoye. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: apoye. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of apoyar in the present tense?
- (a) apoyo
- (b) apoyas
- (c) apoya
- (d) apoyamos
Answer: (d) apoyamos. The we form in the present is apoyamos.
9. What is the i form of apoyar in the preterite tense?
- (a) apoyó
- (b) apoyamos
- (c) apoyé
- (d) apoyaste
Answer: (c) apoyé. The i form in the preterite is apoyé.
10. What is the they form of apoyar in the present tense?
- (a) apoya
- (b) apoyan
- (c) apoyo
- (d) apoyas
Answer: (b) apoyan. The they form in the present is apoyan.
Frequently asked questions about apoyar
Does apoyar need the personal a?
Yes, before a person: apoyo a mi familia. Before a thing there is no a: apoyo la decisión, apoyo el proyecto.
What is the difference between apoyar and ayudar?
Ayudar means to help with an action. Apoyar means to support, which can be emotional, moral or financial, without necessarily doing the action yourself.
How do you say 'I support you' in Spanish?
Te apoyo. The indirect object pronoun te comes before the verb, and the meaning is warm and direct: I support you.
How can I practise apoyar?
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.