Ceder Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

ceder means “to give in, to cede” 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. Ceder means to give in or to cede, to yield a point, a place or a right to someone else. It is used in arguments, traffic and negotiations, and it is a fully regular -er verb. 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 ceder; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the ceder present tense page.

ceder in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo cedo el paso al peatón. — “I give in the way to the pedestrian.”
  2. Él cede ante la presión del grupo. — “He gives in to the pressure of the group.”
  3. Nosotros cedemos su asiento a la anciana. — “We give in my seat to the old lady.”
  4. Ellos ceden el terreno en la negociación. — “They give in ground in the negotiation.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo cedí ante la presión del grupo. — “Yesterday, I gave in to the pressure of the group.”
  2. Antes, nosotros cedíamos su asiento a la anciana. — “Before, we used to give in my seat to the old lady.”
  3. Él cedió el terreno en la negociación. — “He gave in ground in the negotiation.”
  4. Yo ya había cedido el paso al peatón antes de salir. — “I had already given in the way to the pedestrian before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú cederás el paso al peatón. — “Tomorrow, you will give in the way to the pedestrian.”
  2. Yo cedería ante la presión del grupo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would give in to the pressure of the group if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha cedido su asiento a la anciana. — “He has given in my seat to the old lady.”
  4. Espero que él ceda el terreno en la negociación. — “I hope he gives in ground in the negotiation.”

ceder in conversation

Two short dialogues that use ceder the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo cedo el paso al peatón. — “I give in the way to the pedestrian.”
  • Bea: Él cede ante la presión del grupo. — “He gives in to the pressure of the group.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo cedí ante la presión del grupo. — “Yesterday, I gave in to the pressure of the group.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú cederás el paso al peatón. — “Tomorrow, you will give in the way to the pedestrian.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros cedemos su asiento a la anciana. — “We give in my seat to the old lady.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros cedíamos su asiento a la anciana. — “Before, we used to give in my seat to the old lady.”
  • Luis: Yo cedería ante la presión del grupo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would give in to the pressure of the group if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él ceda el terreno en la negociación. — “I hope he gives in ground in the negotiation.”

A short scene with ceder

A short scene shows how ceder works across the day. In the morning: Cedo el paso al peatón. In the afternoon: Cede ante la presión del grupo. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, cedí su asiento a la anciana. And tomorrow: Mañana, cederé el terreno en la negociación. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how ceder sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with ceder

The errors learners actually make with ceder, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo cede el paso al peatón.

✓ Correct: Yo cedo el paso al peatón.

The person matters: cede is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cedo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo cedo ante la presión del grupo.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo cedí ante la presión del grupo.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: cedo is happening now, while cedí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating ceder and rendirse as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Ceder means to give in, to cede, while rendirse means to give up completely.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ceder fits sentences such as Cedo el paso al peatón, while rendirse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy cedido ante la presión del grupo.

✓ Correct: Yo he cedido ante la presión del grupo.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cedido, has cedido, ha cedido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo cedí su asiento a la anciana todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo cedía su asiento a la anciana todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cedía), not the preterite. The preterite (cedí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: ceder in use

Ten questions on ceder — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ ante la presión del grupo. — “He/she gives in to the pressure of the group.”

  • a) cede
  • b) cedo
  • c) cedes
  • d) cedemos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ su asiento a la anciana. — “Yesterday, I gave in my seat to the old lady.”

  • a) cediste
  • b) cedió
  • c) cedieron
  • d) cedí

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el terreno en la negociación cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to give in ground in the negotiation when they were young.”

  • a) cedías
  • b) cedíamos
  • c) cedían
  • d) cedía

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ el paso al peatón. — “Tomorrow, we will give in the way to the pedestrian.”

  • a) cederán
  • b) cederemos
  • c) cederé
  • d) cederás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ ante la presión del grupo si pudiera. — “He would give in to the pressure of the group if he could.”

  • a) cedería
  • b) cederías
  • c) cederíamos
  • d) cedo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ su asiento a la anciana. — “I have given in my seat to the old lady.”

  • a) has cedido
  • b) ha cedido
  • c) han cedido
  • d) he cedido

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ el terreno en la negociación. — “I hope you give in ground in the negotiation.”

  • a) cedamos
  • b) cedo
  • c) cedas
  • d) ceda

8. Which is the past participle of ceder, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) cedí
  • b) cedido
  • c) cediendo
  • d) cedo

9. What does ceder mean in English?

  • a) to give in, to cede
  • b) to give up completely
  • c) to centre, to focus
  • d) to focus on

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él cede ante la presión del grupo.
  • b) Él cedo ante la presión del grupo.
  • c) Nosotros cede su asiento a la anciana.
  • d) Yo cede el paso al peatón.

Answer key

  1. a) cede — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: cede.

  2. d) cedí — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: cedí, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) cedían — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: cedían, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) cederemos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: cederemos.

  5. a) cedería — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: cedería.

  6. d) he cedido — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he cedido, haber + cedido.

  7. c) cedas — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is cedas.

  8. b) cedido — The past participle is cedido: he cedido, has cedido, ha cedido. The gerund cediendo is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to give in, to cede — ceder means to give in, to cede. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él cede ante la presión del grupo. — Él cede ante la presión del grupo. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use ceder in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Cedo el paso al peatón and Cede ante la presión del grupo. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between ceder and rendirse?

Ceder means “to give in, to cede”, while rendirse means “to give up completely”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use ceder when you mean “to give in, to cede” and rendirse when you mean “to give up completely”.

Which tense do I need most with ceder?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use ceder most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is ceder formal or informal?

Ceder is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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