Causar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

causar means “to cause” 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. Causar means to cause, and it is used for anything that produces an effect: rain causes delays, a fire causes damage, a decision causes problems, good news causes joy. It is a regular -ar verb, common in news and in science. 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 causar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the causar present tense page.

causar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico. — I cause delays in the traffic.
  2. Él/Ella causa daños en la casa. — He causes damage to the house.
  3. Nosotros/as causamos problemas en la oficina. — We cause problems in the office.
  4. Ellos/as causan una gran alegría. — They cause great joy.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo causé problemas en la oficina. — Yesterday, I caused problems in the office.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as causábamos una gran alegría. — Before, We used to cause great joy.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella causó retrasos en el tráfico. — Yesterday, He caused delays in the traffic.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as causaban daños en la casa. — As children, They used to cause damage to the house.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú causarás retrasos en el tráfico. — Tomorrow, You will cause delays in the traffic.
  2. Yo causaría daños en la casa. — I would cause damage to the house.
  3. Espero que él cause problemas en la oficina. — I hope he causes problems in the office.
  4. Él/Ella ha causado una gran alegría. — He has caused great joy.

causar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú causas retrasos en el tráfico mañana? — Are you going to cause delays in the traffic tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo causo retrasos en el tráfico todos los días. — Yes, I cause delays in the traffic every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana causarás daños en la casa? — And tomorrow, will you cause damage to the house? Luis: Claro, mañana causaré daños en la casa sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will cause damage to the house without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo causaré problemas en la oficina también. — Perfect. I will cause problems in the office too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer causé problemas en la oficina. — Yesterday, I caused problems in the office. Ana: ¿Y antes causabas una gran alegría? — And before, did you use to cause great joy? Luis: Sí, antes causaba una gran alegría todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to cause great joy every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos causaron retrasos en el tráfico? — And did your brothers caused delays in the traffic? Luis: Sí, ellos causaron retrasos en el tráfico por la tarde. — Yes, they caused delays in the traffic in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo causa retrasos en el tráfico. — Right: Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico. — The person matters: causa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is causo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating causar and provocar as identical in every context. — Right: Causar means to cause, while provocar means to cause or provoke something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: causar fits sentences such as Causo retrasos en el tráfico, while provocar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy causado daños en la casa. — Right: Yo he causado daños en la casa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he causado, has causado, ha causado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo causé problemas en la oficina todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo causaba problemas en la oficina todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (causaba), not the preterite. The preterite (causé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ una gran alegría. (present tense) A. causan B. causo C. causas D. causa

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ retrasos en el tráfico. (preterite tense) A. causé B. causaste C. causó D. causamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ daños en la casa. (imperfect tense) A. causábamos B. causabais C. causabas D. causaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ problemas en la oficina. (future tense) A. causaremos B. causará C. causaré D. causarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una gran alegría. (conditional tense) A. causaríamos B. causaría C. causarías D. causaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ retrasos en el tráfico. (present-perfect tense) A. has causado B. ha causado C. hemos causado D. he causado

  7. What does causar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to cause D. to cause or provoke something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo causé problemas en la oficina. B. Yo causa retrasos en el tráfico. C. Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico. D. Él/Ella causa daños en la casa.

  9. Which is the gerund of causar, used with estar for the progressive? A. causando B. causado C. causo D. causé

  10. Which is the past participle of causar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. causando B. causo C. causé D. causado

Answer key

  1. causan — The correct form here is causan.
  2. causamos — The correct form here is causamos.
  3. causabas — The correct form here is causabas.
  4. causará — The correct form here is causará.
  5. causaríamos — The correct form here is causaríamos.
  6. he causado — The correct form here is he causado.
  7. to cause — Causar means to cause. Provocar means to cause or provoke something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo causa retrasos en el tráfico. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico.. The person matters: causa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is causo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. causando — The gerund of causar is causando: estoy causando.
  10. causado — The past participle of causar is causado: he causado, has causado, ha causado.

Frequently asked questions

What does causar mean?

Causar means to cause. Causar means to cause, and it is used for anything that produces an effect: rain causes delays, a fire causes damage, a decision causes problems, good news causes joy. It is a regular -ar verb, common in news and in science.

When do people use causar most?

People use causar most in everyday situations such as Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico. and Ayer, Yo causé problemas en la oficina.. 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 causar and provocar?

Causar means to cause, while provocar means to cause or provoke something. 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 causar?

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

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