Introduction
Conseguir means “to get, to achieve”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Conseguir is the verb for getting something: a job, a ticket, a discount. The thing got is the direct object, with no preposition. Conseguir + infinitive means to manage to do something. It is a near-synonym of lograr, and the two overlap in most sentences. This page shows conseguir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.
Conseguir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how conseguir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use conseguir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.
“¿Tú consigues hablar español?” — Do you manage to speak Spanish?
“Mi jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado.” — My boss gets us to work on Saturday.
“Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” — We get tickets for the concert.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show conseguir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.” — Yesterday I got a new job. (preterite)
“El estudiante conseguía aprobar el examen siempre.” — The student always used to manage to pass the exam. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of conseguir stays the same.
“Nosotros conseguiremos entradas para el concierto mañana.” — We will get tickets for the concert tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has conseguido alguna vez un descuento?” — Have you ever got a discount? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros conseguís un descuento.” — You get a discount.
“Ellos consiguen resolver el problema.” — They manage to solve the problem.
“Yo consigo dormir ocho horas.” — I manage to sleep eight hours.
“El estudiante consigue aprobar el examen.” — The student manages to pass the exam.
Conseguir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how conseguir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Sara: “¿Tú consigues hablar español?” — Do you manage to speak Spanish?
Diego: “Sí, yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — Yes, I get a new job.
Sara: “Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” — We get tickets for the concert.
Diego: “Y ellos consiguen resolver el problema.” — And they manage to solve the problem.
Sara: “Vosotros conseguís un descuento.” — You get a discount.
Diego: “Sí, y mi jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado.” — Yes, and my boss gets us to work on Saturday.
A short paragraph
Sara consigue un trabajo nuevo, y su jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado. Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto, y ellos consiguen resolver el problema. Yo consigo dormir ocho horas, y el estudiante consigue aprobar el examen. Conseguir is part of every success, because getting a job, managing to speak Spanish and getting tickets are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with conseguir
These are the errors learners actually make with conseguir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo conseguimos un trabajo nuevo.” Right: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” Why: The yo form is consigo, with the e → i change, not conseguimos. The change appears in yo, tú, él and ellos, while nosotros and vosotros keep the e: conseguimos, conseguís.
Wrong: “Nosotros consiguen entradas.” Right: “Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” Why: Nosotros keeps the unchanged stem: conseguimos, not consiguen. The stem change never applies to nosotros or vosotros.
Wrong: “Yo consigo un trabajo ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished achievement yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to conseguí.
Wrong: “Ellos consigue resolver el problema.” Right: “Ellos consiguen resolver el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form consiguen. The singular consigue belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.
Wrong: “Ellos consigo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos consiguen todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form consiguen, not the yo form consigo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: conseguir in use
Ten questions on conseguir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ un descuento.” (You get a discount.)
- (a) consigues
- (b) conseguís
- (c) consigo
Answer: conseguís — The vosotros/as form of conseguir in the present tense is conseguís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ resolver el problema.” (They manage to solve the problem.)
- (a) consiguen
- (b) consigo
- (c) consigues
Answer: consiguen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of conseguir in the present tense is consiguen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ un trabajo nuevo.” (Yesterday I got a new job.)
- (a) conseguiste
- (b) consiguió
- (c) conseguí
Answer: conseguí — In the preterite, the yo form of conseguir is conseguí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El estudiante ______ aprobar el examen siempre.” (The student always used to manage to pass the exam.)
- (a) conseguías
- (b) conseguía
- (c) conseguía
Answer: conseguía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of conseguir is conseguía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ entradas para el concierto mañana.” (We will get tickets for the concert tomorrow.)
- (a) conseguiremos
- (b) conseguiré
- (c) conseguirás
Answer: conseguiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of conseguir is conseguiremos.
6. What does conseguir mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to get, to achieve
Answer: to get, to achieve — Conseguir means “to get, to achieve”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.
- (b) Yo conseguimos un trabajo nuevo.
- (c) Nosotros consiguen entradas.
Answer: Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo. — “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I manage to sleep eight hours.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo consiguen dormir ocho horas.
- (b) Yo consigo dormir ocho horas.
- (c) El estudiante consigue aprobar el examen.
Answer: Yo consigo dormir ocho horas. — “Yo consigo dormir ocho horas.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of conseguir in the present tense?
- (a) consigo
- (b) consigues
- (c) conseguimos
Answer: conseguimos — The nosotros form is conseguimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.
- (b) Nosotros conseguiremos entradas para el concierto mañana.
- (c) Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.
Answer: Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo. — “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I get a new job' in Spanish?
Say 'Consigo un trabajo nuevo'. The job follows directly with no preposition. For a routine: 'Consigo entradas para el concierto'.
How do you say 'to manage to speak Spanish' in Spanish?
Say 'conseguir hablar español'. In the present: '¿Tú consigues hablar español?' The infinitive follows directly with no preposition.
Can conseguir be used with que?
Yes. Conseguir que + subjunctive means to get someone to do something: 'Mi jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado' means my boss gets us to work on Saturday. The subjunctive follows because the action is imposed, not stated as a fact.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of conseguir — every tense of conseguir in one place.
- Conseguir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on conseguir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of conseguir until they are automatic.