Condenar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

condenar means “to condemn” 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. Condenar means to condemn, and it is used for a court sentencing someone, for society condemning an act, and for condemning a building as unsafe. It is a formal, fully regular verb that belongs to law and the news. 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 condenar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the condenar present tense page.

condenar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión. — “I condemn the accused to ten years in prison.”
  2. Él condena el ataque en un comunicado. — “He condemns the attack in a statement.”
  3. Nosotros condenamos el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “We condemn the building as a collapse risk.”
  4. Ellos condenan la violencia con palabras muy duras. — “They condemn violence in very strong words.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo condené el ataque en un comunicado. — “Yesterday, I condemned the attack in a statement.”
  2. Antes, nosotros condenábamos el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “Before, we used to condemn the building as a collapse risk.”
  3. Él condenó la violencia con palabras muy duras. — “He condemned violence in very strong words.”
  4. Yo ya había condenado al acusado a diez años de prisión antes de salir. — “I had already condemned the accused to ten years in prison before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú condenarás al acusado a diez años de prisión. — “Tomorrow, you will condemn the accused to ten years in prison.”
  2. Yo condenaría el ataque en un comunicado si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would condemn the attack in a statement if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha condenado el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “He has condemned the building as a collapse risk.”
  4. Espero que él condene la violencia con palabras muy duras. — “I hope he condemns violence in very strong words.”

condenar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use condenar 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 condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión. — “I condemn the accused to ten years in prison.”
  • Bea: Él condena el ataque en un comunicado. — “He condemns the attack in a statement.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo condené el ataque en un comunicado. — “Yesterday, I condemned the attack in a statement.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú condenarás al acusado a diez años de prisión. — “Tomorrow, you will condemn the accused to ten years in prison.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros condenamos el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “We condemn the building as a collapse risk.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros condenábamos el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “Before, we used to condemn the building as a collapse risk.”
  • Luis: Yo condenaría el ataque en un comunicado si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would condemn the attack in a statement if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él condene la violencia con palabras muy duras. — “I hope he condemns violence in very strong words.”

A short scene with condenar

A short scene shows how condenar works across the day. In the morning: Condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión. In the afternoon: Condena el ataque en un comunicado. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, condené el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. And tomorrow: Mañana, condenaré la violencia con palabras muy duras. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how condenar 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 condenar

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

✗ Yo condena al acusado a diez años de prisión.

✓ Correct: Yo condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión.

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

✗ Ayer yo condeno el ataque en un comunicado.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo condené el ataque en un comunicado.

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

✗ Treating condenar and absolver as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Condenar means to condemn, while absolver means to acquit someone.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: condenar fits sentences such as Condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión, while absolver belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy condenado el ataque en un comunicado.

✓ Correct: Yo he condenado el ataque en un comunicado.

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

✗ De niño, yo condené el edificio por peligro de derrumbe todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo condenaba el edificio por peligro de derrumbe todos los días.

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

Quiz: condenar in use

Ten questions on condenar — 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 ______ el ataque en un comunicado. — “He/she condemns the attack in a statement.”

  • a) condena
  • b) condeno
  • c) condenas
  • d) condenamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “Yesterday, I condemned the building as a collapse risk.”

  • a) condenaste
  • b) condenó
  • c) condenaron
  • d) condené

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ la violencia con palabras muy duras cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to condemn violence in very strong words when they were young.”

  • a) condenabas
  • b) condenábamos
  • c) condenaban
  • d) condenaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ al acusado a diez años de prisión. — “Tomorrow, we will condemn the accused to ten years in prison.”

  • a) condenarán
  • b) condenaremos
  • c) condenaré
  • d) condenarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el ataque en un comunicado si pudiera. — “He would condemn the attack in a statement if he could.”

  • a) condenaría
  • b) condenarías
  • c) condenaríamos
  • d) condeno

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el edificio por peligro de derrumbe. — “I have condemned the building as a collapse risk.”

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ la violencia con palabras muy duras. — “I hope you condemn violence in very strong words.”

  • a) condenemos
  • b) condeno
  • c) condenes
  • d) condene

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

  • a) condené
  • b) condenado
  • c) condenando
  • d) condeno

9. What does condenar mean in English?

  • a) to condemn
  • b) to acquit someone
  • c) to pardon
  • d) to declare

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él condena el ataque en un comunicado.
  • b) Él condeno el ataque en un comunicado.
  • c) Nosotros condena el edificio por peligro de derrumbe.
  • d) Yo condena al acusado a diez años de prisión.

Answer key

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  9. a) to condemn — condenar means to condemn. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él condena el ataque en un comunicado. — Él condena el ataque en un comunicado. 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 condenar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Condeno al acusado a diez años de prisión and Condena el ataque en un comunicado. 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 condenar and absolver?

Condenar means “to condemn”, while absolver means “to acquit someone”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use condenar when you mean “to condemn” and absolver when you mean “to acquit someone”.

Which tense do I need most with condenar?

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

Condenar 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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