Centrar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

centrar means “to centre, to focus” 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. Centrar means to center or to focus, to put something in the middle or to direct attention to a topic. It is used for photos, discussions and work, and it is fully regular. 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 centrar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the centrar present tense page.

centrar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo centro la imagen en la pantalla. — “I center the image on the screen.”
  2. Él centra la atención en el examen. — “He centers my attention on the exam.”
  3. Nosotros centramos el debate en el problema. — “We center the debate on the problem.”
  4. Ellos centran la cámara en su cara. — “They center the camera on his face.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo centré la atención en el examen. — “Yesterday, I centered my attention on the exam.”
  2. Antes, nosotros centrábamos el debate en el problema. — “Before, we used to center the debate on the problem.”
  3. Él centró la cámara en su cara. — “He centered the camera on his face.”
  4. Yo ya había centrado la imagen en la pantalla antes de salir. — “I had already centered the image on the screen before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú centrarás la imagen en la pantalla. — “Tomorrow, you will center the image on the screen.”
  2. Yo centraría la atención en el examen si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would center my attention on the exam if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha centrado el debate en el problema. — “He has centered the debate on the problem.”
  4. Espero que él centre la cámara en su cara. — “I hope he centers the camera on his face.”

centrar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use centrar 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 centro la imagen en la pantalla. — “I center the image on the screen.”
  • Bea: Él centra la atención en el examen. — “He centers my attention on the exam.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo centré la atención en el examen. — “Yesterday, I centered my attention on the exam.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú centrarás la imagen en la pantalla. — “Tomorrow, you will center the image on the screen.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros centramos el debate en el problema. — “We center the debate on the problem.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros centrábamos el debate en el problema. — “Before, we used to center the debate on the problem.”
  • Luis: Yo centraría la atención en el examen si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would center my attention on the exam if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él centre la cámara en su cara. — “I hope he centers the camera on his face.”

A short scene with centrar

A short scene shows how centrar works across the day. In the morning: Centro la imagen en la pantalla. In the afternoon: Centra la atención en el examen. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, centré el debate en el problema. And tomorrow: Mañana, centraré la cámara en su cara. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how centrar 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 centrar

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

✗ Yo centra la imagen en la pantalla.

✓ Correct: Yo centro la imagen en la pantalla.

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

✗ Ayer yo centro la atención en el examen.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo centré la atención en el examen.

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

✗ Treating centrar and enfocar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Centrar means to centre, to focus, while enfocar means to focus, a camera or attention.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: centrar fits sentences such as Centro la imagen en la pantalla, while enfocar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy centrado la atención en el examen.

✓ Correct: Yo he centrado la atención en el examen.

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

✗ De niño, yo centré el debate en el problema todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo centraba el debate en el problema todos los días.

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

Quiz: centrar in use

Ten questions on centrar — 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 ______ la atención en el examen. — “He/she centers my attention on the exam.”

  • a) centra
  • b) centro
  • c) centras
  • d) centramos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el debate en el problema. — “Yesterday, I centered the debate on the problem.”

  • a) centraste
  • b) centró
  • c) centraron
  • d) centré

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ la cámara en su cara cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to center the camera on his face when they were young.”

  • a) centrabas
  • b) centrábamos
  • c) centraban
  • d) centraba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ la imagen en la pantalla. — “Tomorrow, we will center the image on the screen.”

  • a) centrarán
  • b) centraremos
  • c) centraré
  • d) centrarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la atención en el examen si pudiera. — “He would center my attention on the exam if he could.”

  • a) centraría
  • b) centrarías
  • c) centraríamos
  • d) centro

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el debate en el problema. — “I have centered the debate on the problem.”

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ la cámara en su cara. — “I hope you center the camera on his face.”

  • a) centremos
  • b) centro
  • c) centres
  • d) centre

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

  • a) centré
  • b) centrado
  • c) centrando
  • d) centro

9. What does centrar mean in English?

  • a) to centre, to focus
  • b) to focus, a camera or attention
  • c) to focus on
  • d) to fence in, to surround

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él centra la atención en el examen.
  • b) Él centro la atención en el examen.
  • c) Nosotros centra el debate en el problema.
  • d) Yo centra la imagen en la pantalla.

Answer key

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  9. a) to centre, to focus — centrar means to centre, to focus. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él centra la atención en el examen. — Él centra la atención en el examen. 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 centrar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Centro la imagen en la pantalla and Centra la atención en el examen. 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 centrar and enfocar?

Centrar means “to centre, to focus”, while enfocar means “to focus, a camera or attention”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use centrar when you mean “to centre, to focus” and enfocar when you mean “to focus, a camera or attention”.

Which tense do I need most with centrar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use centrar 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 centrar formal or informal?

Centrar 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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