Cometer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

cometer means “to commit” 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. Cometer means to commit, and it is used for committing errors, crimes, offences and indiscretions: you commit a mistake in an exam, a serious crime, a spelling error, an imprudence at the wheel. It is a formal verb, and it almost always takes a negative object. 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 cometer; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the cometer present tense page.

cometer in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo cometo un error en el examen. — I commit a mistake in the exam.
  2. Él/Ella comete un delito grave. — He commits a serious crime.
  3. Nosotros/as cometemos una falta de ortografía. — We commit a spelling mistake.
  4. Ellos/as cometen una imprudencia al volante. — They commit an imprudence at the wheel.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo cometí una falta de ortografía. — Yesterday, I committed a spelling mistake.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as cometíamos una imprudencia al volante. — Before, We used to commit an imprudence at the wheel.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella cometió un error en el examen. — Yesterday, He committed a mistake in the exam.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as cometían un delito grave. — As children, They used to commit a serious crime.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú cometerás un error en el examen. — Tomorrow, You will commit a mistake in the exam.
  2. Yo cometería un delito grave. — I would commit a serious crime.
  3. Espero que él cometa una falta de ortografía. — I hope he commits a spelling mistake.
  4. Él/Ella ha cometido una imprudencia al volante. — He has committed an imprudence at the wheel.

cometer in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú cometes un error en el examen mañana? — Are you going to commit a mistake in the exam tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo cometo un error en el examen todos los días. — Yes, I commit a mistake in the exam every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana cometerás un delito grave? — And tomorrow, will you commit a serious crime? Luis: Claro, mañana cometeré un delito grave sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will commit a serious crime without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo cometeré una falta de ortografía también. — Perfect. I will commit a spelling mistake too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer cometí una falta de ortografía. — Yesterday, I committed a spelling mistake. Ana: ¿Y antes cometías una imprudencia al volante? — And before, did you use to commit an imprudence at the wheel? Luis: Sí, antes cometía una imprudencia al volante todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to commit an imprudence at the wheel every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos cometieron un error en el examen? — And did your brothers committed a mistake in the exam? Luis: Sí, ellos cometieron un error en el examen por la tarde. — Yes, they committed a mistake in the exam in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo comete un error en el examen. — Right: Yo cometo un error en el examen. — The person matters: comete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cometo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating cometer and realizar as identical in every context. — Right: Cometer means to commit, while realizar means to carry out something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cometer fits sentences such as Cometo un error en el examen, while realizar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy cometido un delito grave. — Right: Yo he cometido un delito grave. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cometido, has cometido, ha cometido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo cometí una falta de ortografía todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cometía una falta de ortografía todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cometía), not the preterite. The preterite (cometí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ una imprudencia al volante. (present tense) A. cometen B. cometo C. cometes D. comete

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ un error en el examen. (preterite tense) A. cometí B. cometiste C. cometió D. cometimos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ un delito grave. (imperfect tense) A. cometíamos B. cometíais C. cometías D. cometía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ una falta de ortografía. (future tense) A. cometeremos B. cometerá C. cometeré D. cometerás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una imprudencia al volante. (conditional tense) A. cometeríamos B. cometería C. cometerías D. cometeríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ un error en el examen. (present-perfect tense) A. has cometido B. ha cometido C. hemos cometido D. he cometido

  7. What does cometer mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to commit D. to carry out something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo cometí una falta de ortografía. B. Yo comete un error en el examen. C. Yo cometo un error en el examen. D. Él/Ella comete un delito grave.

  9. Which is the gerund of cometer, used with estar for the progressive? A. cometiendo B. cometido C. cometo D. cometí

  10. Which is the past participle of cometer, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. cometiendo B. cometo C. cometí D. cometido

Answer key

  1. cometen — The correct form here is cometen.
  2. cometimos — The correct form here is cometimos.
  3. cometías — The correct form here is cometías.
  4. cometerá — The correct form here is cometerá.
  5. cometeríamos — The correct form here is cometeríamos.
  6. he cometido — The correct form here is he cometido.
  7. to commit — Cometer means to commit. Realizar means to carry out something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo comete un error en el examen. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo cometo un error en el examen.. The person matters: comete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cometo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. cometiendo — The gerund of cometer is cometiendo: estoy cometiendo.
  10. cometido — The past participle of cometer is cometido: he cometido, has cometido, ha cometido.

Frequently asked questions

What does cometer mean?

Cometer means to commit. Cometer means to commit, and it is used for committing errors, crimes, offences and indiscretions: you commit a mistake in an exam, a serious crime, a spelling error, an imprudence at the wheel. It is a formal verb, and it almost always takes a negative object.

When do people use cometer most?

People use cometer most in everyday situations such as Yo cometo un error en el examen. and Ayer, Yo cometí una falta de ortografía.. 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 cometer and realizar?

Cometer means to commit, while realizar means to carry out 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 cometer?

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

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