Introduction
Atribuir means “to attribute”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Atribuir means to attribute or to ascribe, and it is used for giving credit or blame: atribuir el éxito al equipo, atribuir el error a la lluvia. It takes a for the person or cause. It is a -uir verb: yo atribuyo, with y before the vowel endings. This page shows atribuir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” — I attribute success to the team.
Atribuir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how atribuir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use atribuir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” — I attribute success to the team.
“¿Atribuyes el error a la lluvia?” — Do you attribute the mistake to the rain?
“Atribuye la cita al autor.” — He/she attributes the quote to the author.
“Nosotros atribuimos el incendio a un rayo.” — We attribute the fire to lightning.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show atribuir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo atribuí el éxito al equipo.” — Yesterday, I attributed success to the team. (preterite)
“Antes, él atribuía el error a la lluvia.” — Before, he used to attribute the mistake to the rain. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of atribuir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros atribuiremos la cita al autor.” — Tomorrow, we will attribute the quote to the author. (future)
“¿Tú has atribuido el incendio a un rayo?” — Have you attributed the fire to lightning? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros atribuís el éxito al equipo.” — You attribute success to the team.
“Ellos atribuyen el error a la lluvia.” — They attribute the mistake to the rain.
“Yo atribuyo la cita al autor.” — I attribute the quote to the author.
“Mi padre atribuye el incendio a un rayo.” — My father attributes the fire to lightning.
Atribuir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how atribuir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú atribuyes el error a la lluvia?” — Do you attribute the mistake to the rain?
Pedro: “Sí, yo atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” — Yes, I attribute success to the team.
Marta: “Nosotros atribuimos el incendio a un rayo.” — We attribute the fire to lightning.
Pedro: “Y ellos atribuyen el error a la lluvia.” — And they attribute the mistake to the rain.
Marta: “Vosotros atribuís la cita al autor.” — You attribute the quote to the author.
Pedro: “Sí, y él atribuye el éxito al equipo.” — Yes, and he attributes success to the team.
A short paragraph
Atribuye el éxito al equipo, y nosotros atribuimos el incendio a un rayo. Yo atribuyo el error a la lluvia, y ellos atribuyen la cita al autor. Atribuir is part of everyday life, because attribute is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with atribuir
These are the errors learners actually make with atribuir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo atribuye el éxito al equipo.” Right: “Yo atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” Why: The person matters: atribuye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is atribuyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo atribuo el error a la lluvia.” Right: “Yo atribuyo el error a la lluvia.” Why: Atribuir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is atribuyo and atribuye, and the gerund is atribuyendo. The form atribuyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating atribuir and achacar as identical in every context.” Right: “Atribuir means to attribute, while achacar means to blame.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: atribuir fits sentences such as Atribuyo el éxito al equipo, while achacar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy atribuido el error a la lluvia.” Right: “Yo he atribuido el error a la lluvia.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he atribuido, has atribuido, ha atribuido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo atribuí la cita al autor todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo atribuía la cita al autor todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (atribuía), not the preterite. The preterite (atribuí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: atribuir in use
Ten questions on atribuir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el éxito al equipo.” (You attribute success to the team.)
- (a) atribuís
- (b) atribuyo
- (c) atribuyes
Answer: atribuís — The vosotros/as form of atribuir in the present tense is atribuís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el error a la lluvia.” (They attribute the mistake to the rain.)
- (a) atribuyes
- (b) atribuyen
- (c) atribuyo
Answer: atribuyen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of atribuir in the present tense is atribuyen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ el éxito al equipo.” (Yesterday I attributed success to the team.)
- (a) atribuiste
- (b) atribuyó
- (c) atribuí
Answer: atribuí — In the preterite, the yo form of atribuir is atribuí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el error a la lluvia.” (Before, he used to attribute the mistake to the rain.)
- (a) atribuía
- (b) atribuyo
- (c) atribuías
Answer: atribuía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of atribuir is atribuía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ la cita al autor.” (Tomorrow we will attribute the quote to the author.)
- (a) atribuirás
- (b) atribuiremos
- (c) atribuiré
Answer: atribuiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of atribuir is atribuiremos.
6. What does atribuir mean in English?
- (a) to attribute
- (b) to attend, to assist
- (c) to blame
Answer: to attribute — Atribuir means “to attribute”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo atribuye el éxito al equipo.
- (b) Ellos atribuye el error a la lluvia.
- (c) Yo atribuyo el éxito al equipo.
Answer: Yo atribuyo el éxito al equipo. — “Yo atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I attribute success to the team.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre atribuye el incendio a un rayo.
- (b) Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.
- (c) Atribuyen el éxito al equipo.
Answer: Atribuyo el éxito al equipo. — “Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of atribuir in the present tense?
- (a) atribuyo
- (b) atribuyes
- (c) atribuimos
Answer: atribuimos — The nosotros form is atribuimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros atribuiremos la cita al autor.
- (b) Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.
- (c) Ayer, yo atribuí el éxito al equipo.
Answer: Atribuyo el éxito al equipo. — “Atribuyo el éxito al equipo.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I attribute success to the team' in Spanish?
Say 'Atribuyo el éxito al equipo'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Atribuyo el éxito al equipo todos los días'.
How do you say 'He attributes the mistake to the rain' in Spanish?
Say 'Él atribuye el error a la lluvia'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes atribuye.
What is the difference between atribuir and achacar?
Atribuir means to attribute, while achacar means to blame. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use atribuir when you mean to attribute, as in 'Atribuyo el éxito al equipo', and use achacar for to blame.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of atribuir — every tense of atribuir in one place.
- Atribuir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on atribuir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of atribuir until they are automatic.