Corregir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

corregir means "to correct" 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. Corregir means to correct: corregir los exámenes, corregir los errores. It is also used for straightening posture: corregir su postura. The stem changes e to i, and a j appears in the first person: corrijo. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by use, 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 corregir; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the corregir present tense page.

corregir in everyday use: examples with translations

Everyday present uses

How the verb sounds in the present, the future and in hypotheticals — the forms you will use most often.

  1. Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams"
  2. Mi amigo corrige los errores del texto — "My friend corrects the mistakes in the text"
  3. Mañana, tú corregirás la pronunciación de su hijo — "Tomorrow, you will correct his son's pronunciation"
  4. Yo corregiría una falta en el informe si pudiera — "I would correct an error in the report if I could"

Talking about the past

The same verb in the past: one finished action, a habit, something that has just happened, and something that had already happened.

  1. Ayer, yo corregí los exámenes de sus alumnos — "Yesterday, I corrected his pupils' exams"
  2. Antes, nosotros corregíamos los errores del texto — "Before, we used to correct the mistakes in the text"
  3. Él ha corregido la pronunciación de su hijo — "He has corrected his son's pronunciation"
  4. Yo ya había corregido una falta en el informe antes de salir — "I already had corrected an error in the report before leaving"

Wishes, conditions and commands

The verb after espero que, in si clauses, as a command — and in the conditional perfect, for what would have happened.

  1. Espero que él corrija los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I hope he corrects his pupils' exams"
  2. Si yo corrigiera los errores del texto, todo cambiaría — "If I corrected the mistakes in the text, everything would change"
  3. Corrige la pronunciación de su hijo. — "Correct his son's pronunciation."
  4. Yo habría corregido una falta en el informe con más tiempo — "I would have corrected an error in the report with more time"

corregir in conversation

Two short dialogues that use corregir 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 it.

  • Lucía: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Lucía: Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams"
  • Marcos: Él corrige los errores del texto — "He corrects the mistakes in the text"
  • Lucía: Ayer, yo corregí la pronunciación de su hijo — "Yesterday, I corrected his son's pronunciation"
  • Marcos: Mañana, tú corregirás una falta en el informe — "Tomorrow, you will correct an error in the report"

A practical exchange.

  • Marcos: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Marcos: Corrige su postura en el espejo. — "Correct his posture in the mirror."
  • Lucía: Él ha corregido los exámenes de sus alumnos — "He has corrected his pupils' exams"
  • Marcos: Espero que él corrija los errores del texto — "I hope he corrects the mistakes in the text"
  • Lucía: Antes, yo corregía la pronunciación de su hijo — "Before, I used to correct his son's pronunciation"

Common mistakes with corregir

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

✗ *Yo corrego una falta en el informe.

✓ Correct: Yo corrijo una falta en el informe.

corregir is a stem-changing verb (e → i): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is corrijo, not corrego.

✗ *Espero que él corrige una falta en el informe

✓ Correct: Espero que él corrija una falta en el informe

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él corrija una falta en el informe — not the indicative Espero que él corrige una falta en el informe.

✗ *Ayer, yo corrijo su postura en el espejo

✓ Correct: Ayer, yo corregí su postura en el espejo

Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo corregí su postura en el espejo.

✗ *De niño, yo corregí los exámenes de sus alumnos todos los días

✓ Correct: De niño, yo corregía los exámenes de sus alumnos todos los días

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo corregía los exámenes de sus alumnos todos los días.

✗ *Yo corrijo en la pronunciación de su hijo.

✓ Correct: Yo corrijo la pronunciación de su hijo.

corregir takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo corrijo la pronunciación de su hijo.

Quiz: corregir in use

Ten questions on corregir — 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: Yo ______ los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams" (present) A. corriges B. corrige C. corregimos D. corrijo

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ los errores del texto — "Yesterday, I corrected the mistakes in the text" (preterite) A. corregimos B. corregí C. corregiste D. corrigió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ______ la pronunciación de su hijo — "Before, we used to correct his son's pronunciation" (imperfect) A. corregía B. corregías C. corregíais D. corregíamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ______ una falta en el informe — "Tomorrow, you will correct an error in the report" (future) A. corregiré B. corregirá C. corregiremos D. corregirás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ su postura en el espejo — "I would correct his posture in the mirror" (conditional) A. corregiríais B. corregiría C. corregirías D. corregiríamos

  6. Complete the sentence: Él ______ los exámenes de sus alumnos — "He has corrected his pupils' exams" (present perfect) A. ha corregido B. he corregido C. has corregido D. hemos corregido

  7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ los errores del texto — "I hope he corrects the mistakes in the text" (present subjunctive) A. corrija B. corrijas C. corrijamos D. corrigáis

  8. Complete the sentence: ______ la pronunciación de su hijo. — "Correct his son's pronunciation." (affirmative imperative) A. corrija B. corrijamos C. corregid D. corrige

  9. Which is the gerund of corregir, used with estar for the progressive? A. corregí B. corrigiendo C. corregido D. corrijo

  10. What does corregir mean in English? A. to rectify B. to enjoy C. to cross D. to correct

Answer key

  1. corrijo — The present form for yo is corrijo.
  2. corregí — The preterite form for yo is corregí.
  3. corregíamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is corregíamos.
  4. corregirás — The future form for tú is corregirás.
  5. corregiría — The conditional form for yo is corregiría.
  6. ha corregido — The present perfect form for él/ella/Ud. is ha corregido.
  7. corrija — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is corrija.
  8. corrige — The affirmative imperative form is corrige.
  9. corrigiendo — The gerund of corregir is corrigiendo: estoy corrigiendo. The participle corregido is used with haber instead.
  10. to correct — corregir means to correct.

Frequently asked questions

What does corregir mean in English?

corregir means to correct. For example: Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

What preposition goes with corregir?

corregir takes its complement directly, with no preposition, as in the examples above. Adding an extra preposition is a common learner error.

Is corregir regular?

No. corregir is a stem-changing -ir verb (e → i). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo.

How do I practise corregir?

Start with the present tense table on the full conjugation page, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure, and come back to the sentences above until you can say them without looking.

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