Cancelar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

cancelar means “to cancel” 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. Cancelar means to cancel, and it is used for cancelling appointments, flights, subscriptions and meetings: you cancel a dentist appointment, a flight to Madrid, a gym subscription. It is a regular -ar verb, common in travel, health and work. 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 cancelar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the cancelar present tense page.

cancelar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo cancelo la cita con el dentista. — I cancel the appointment with the dentist.
  2. Él/Ella cancela el vuelo a Madrid. — He cancels the flight to Madrid.
  3. Nosotros/as cancelamos la suscripción al gimnasio. — We cancel the gym subscription.
  4. Ellos/as cancelan la reunión de mañana. — They cancel tomorrow's meeting.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo cancelé la suscripción al gimnasio. — Yesterday, I cancelled the gym subscription.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as cancelábamos la reunión de mañana. — Before, We used to cancel tomorrow's meeting.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella canceló la cita con el dentista. — Yesterday, He cancelled the appointment with the dentist.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as cancelaban el vuelo a Madrid. — As children, They used to cancel the flight to Madrid.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú cancelarás la cita con el dentista. — Tomorrow, You will cancel the appointment with the dentist.
  2. Yo cancelaría el vuelo a Madrid. — I would cancel the flight to Madrid.
  3. Espero que él cancele la suscripción al gimnasio. — I hope he cancels the gym subscription.
  4. Él/Ella ha cancelado la reunión de mañana. — He has cancelled tomorrow's meeting.

cancelar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú cancelas la cita con el dentista mañana? — Are you going to cancel the appointment with the dentist tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo cancelo la cita con el dentista todos los días. — Yes, I cancel the appointment with the dentist every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana cancelarás el vuelo a Madrid? — And tomorrow, will you cancel the flight to Madrid? Luis: Claro, mañana cancelaré el vuelo a Madrid sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will cancel the flight to Madrid without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo cancelaré la suscripción al gimnasio también. — Perfect. I will cancel the gym subscription too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer cancelé la suscripción al gimnasio. — Yesterday, I cancelled the gym subscription. Ana: ¿Y antes cancelabas la reunión de mañana? — And before, did you use to cancel tomorrow's meeting? Luis: Sí, antes cancelaba la reunión de mañana todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to cancel tomorrow's meeting every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos cancelaron la cita con el dentista? — And did your brothers cancelled the appointment with the dentist? Luis: Sí, ellos cancelaron la cita con el dentista por la tarde. — Yes, they cancelled the appointment with the dentist in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo cancela la cita con el dentista. — Right: Yo cancelo la cita con el dentista. — The person matters: cancela is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cancelo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating cancelar and anular as identical in every context. — Right: Cancelar means to cancel, while anular means to annul or cancel something officially. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cancelar fits sentences such as Cancelo la cita con el dentista, while anular belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy cancelado el vuelo a Madrid. — Right: Yo he cancelado el vuelo a Madrid. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cancelado, has cancelado, ha cancelado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo cancelé la suscripción al gimnasio todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cancelaba la suscripción al gimnasio todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cancelaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cancelé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ la reunión de mañana. (present tense) A. cancelan B. cancelo C. cancelas D. cancela

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ la cita con el dentista. (preterite tense) A. cancelé B. cancelaste C. canceló D. cancelamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el vuelo a Madrid. (imperfect tense) A. cancelábamos B. cancelabais C. cancelabas D. cancelaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la suscripción al gimnasio. (future tense) A. cancelaremos B. cancelará C. cancelaré D. cancelarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ la reunión de mañana. (conditional tense) A. cancelaríamos B. cancelaría C. cancelarías D. cancelaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ la cita con el dentista. (present-perfect tense) A. has cancelado B. ha cancelado C. hemos cancelado D. he cancelado

  7. What does cancelar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to cancel D. to annul or cancel something officially

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo cancelé la suscripción al gimnasio. B. Yo cancela la cita con el dentista. C. Yo cancelo la cita con el dentista. D. Él/Ella cancela el vuelo a Madrid.

  9. Which is the gerund of cancelar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cancelando B. cancelado C. cancelo D. cancelé

  10. Which is the past participle of cancelar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. cancelando B. cancelo C. cancelé D. cancelado

Answer key

  1. cancelan — The correct form here is cancelan.
  2. cancelamos — The correct form here is cancelamos.
  3. cancelabas — The correct form here is cancelabas.
  4. cancelará — The correct form here is cancelará.
  5. cancelaríamos — The correct form here is cancelaríamos.
  6. he cancelado — The correct form here is he cancelado.
  7. to cancel — Cancelar means to cancel. Anular means to annul or cancel something officially, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo cancela la cita con el dentista. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo cancelo la cita con el dentista.. The person matters: cancela is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cancelo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. cancelando — The gerund of cancelar is cancelando: estoy cancelando.
  10. cancelado — The past participle of cancelar is cancelado: he cancelado, has cancelado, ha cancelado.

Frequently asked questions

What does cancelar mean?

Cancelar means to cancel. Cancelar means to cancel, and it is used for cancelling appointments, flights, subscriptions and meetings: you cancel a dentist appointment, a flight to Madrid, a gym subscription. It is a regular -ar verb, common in travel, health and work.

When do people use cancelar most?

People use cancelar most in everyday situations such as Yo cancelo la cita con el dentista. and Ayer, Yo cancelé la suscripción al gimnasio.. 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 cancelar and anular?

Cancelar means to cancel, while anular means to annul or cancel something officially. 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 cancelar?

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

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