Ayunar Examples, Sentences and Quiz
Ayunar means “to fast”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Ayunar means to fast, and it is used for going without food for religious, medical or health reasons. It is fully regular, and it appears in religion, health and medical contexts, usually with a time expression. This page shows ayunar 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: “Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” — I fast during Ramadan.
Ayunar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how ayunar 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 ayunar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Ayuno durante el Ramadán.” — I fast during Ramadan.
“¿Tú ayunas antes del análisis de sangre?” — Do you fast before the blood test?
“Ayuna un día a la semana.” — He/she fasts one day a week.
“Ayunamos desde anoche hasta mediodía.” — We fast from last night until midday.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show ayunar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo ayuné durante el Ramadán.” — Yesterday, I fasted during Ramadan. (preterite)
“Él ayunaba antes del análisis de sangre todos los días.” — He used to fast before the blood test every day. (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 ayunar stays the same.
“Nosotros ayunaremos un día a la semana mañana.” — We will fast one day a week tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has ayunado desde anoche hasta mediodía?” — Have you fasted from last night until midday? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Ayunáis durante el Ramadán.” — You fast during Ramadan.
“Ayunan antes del análisis de sangre.” — They fast before the blood test.
“Ayuno un día a la semana.” — I fast one day a week.
“Ayuna desde anoche hasta mediodía.” — He/she fasts from last night until midday.
Ayunar 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 ayunar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Lucía: “¿Tú ayunas durante el Ramadán?” — Do you fast during Ramadan?
Carlos: “Sí, yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” — Yes, I fast during Ramadan.
Lucía: “Nosotros ayunamos antes del análisis de sangre.” — We fast before the blood test.
Carlos: “Y ellos ayunan un día a la semana.” — And they fast one day a week.
Lucía: “Vosotros ayunáis desde anoche hasta mediodía.” — You fast from last night until midday.
Carlos: “Sí, y él ayuna antes del análisis de sangre.” — Yes, and he fasts before the blood test.
A short paragraph
Lucía ayuna durante el Ramadán, y Carlos ayuna antes del análisis de sangre. Nosotros ayunamos un día a la semana, y ellos ayunan desde anoche hasta mediodía. Yo ayuno un día a la semana, y mi padre ayuna desde anoche hasta mediodía. Ayunar is part of everyday life, because to fast is something Spanish speakers do again and again, in every tense and every situation.
Common mistakes with ayunar
These are the errors learners actually make with ayunar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo ayuna durante el Ramadán.” Right: “Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” Why: The person matters: ayuna is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ayuno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo ayuno antes del análisis de sangre.” Right: “Ayer yo ayuné antes del análisis de sangre.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: ayuno is happening now, while ayuné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating ayunar and comer as identical in every context.” Right: “Ayunar means to fast, while comer means to eat.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ayunar fits sentences such as Ayuno durante el Ramadán, while comer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy ayunado antes del análisis de sangre.” Right: “Yo he ayunado antes del análisis de sangre.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ayunado, has ayunado, ha ayunado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo ayuné un día a la semana todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo ayunaba un día a la semana todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ayunaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ayuné) is for one finished action.
Quiz: ayunar in use
Ten questions on ayunar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ durante el Ramadán.” (During ramadan.)
- (a) ayunáis
- (b) ayuno
- (c) ayunas
Answer: ayunáis — The vosotros/as form of ayunar in the present is ayunáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ antes del análisis de sangre.” (Before the blood test.)
- (a) ayuno
- (b) ayunas
- (c) ayunan
Answer: ayunan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of ayunar in the present is ayunan.
3. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ durante el Ramadán.” (During ramadan.)
- (a) ayunó
- (b) ayuné
- (c) ayunaste
Answer: ayuné — The yo form of ayunar in the preterite is ayuné.
4. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ antes del análisis de sangre.” (Before the blood test.)
- (a) ayunaba
- (b) ayunabas
- (c) ayunábamos
Answer: ayunaba — The él/ella/Ud. form of ayunar in the imperfect is ayunaba.
5. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ un día a la semana.” (One day a week.)
- (a) ayunaré
- (b) ayunarás
- (c) ayunaremos
Answer: ayunaremos — The nosotros/as form of ayunar in the future is ayunaremos.
6. What does ayunar mean in English?
- (a) to toast
- (b) to fast
- (c) to eat
Answer: to fast — Ayunar means “to fast”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.
- (b) Ellos ayuna durante el Ramadán.
- (c) Yo ayuno antes del análisis de sangre ayer.
Answer: Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán. — “Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I fast during Ramadan.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo ayunan durante el Ramadán.
- (b) Yo ayuné durante el Ramadán.
- (c) Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.
Answer: Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán. — “Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” is the correct translation. The second option uses the wrong person's form, and the third uses the preterite.
9. What is the nosotros form of ayunar in the present tense?
- (a) ayunas
- (b) ayunamos
- (c) ayuno
Answer: ayunamos — The nosotros form is ayunamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer, yo ayuné durante el Ramadán.
- (b) Nosotros ayunaremos durante el Ramadán mañana.
- (c) Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.
Answer: Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán. — “Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I fast' in Spanish?
Say 'Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán'. The complement follows directly, as in the examples above. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán todos los días'.
How do you say 'I fast' in the past?
For one finished action, say 'Ayer, yo ayuné antes del análisis de sangre'. For a repeated habit, say 'Yo ayunaba antes del análisis de sangre todos los días'. For something already done, say 'Yo he ayunado antes del análisis de sangre'.
What is the difference between ayunar and comer?
Ayunar means to fast, while comer means to eat. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ayunar when you mean to fast, as in Ayuno durante el Ramadán.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ayunar — every tense of ayunar in one place.
- Ayunar 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 ayunar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of ayunar until they are automatic.