Introduction

corresponder means “to correspond”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to correspond” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows corresponder 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 form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Este premio corresponde a la descripción por la mañana.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.”

corresponder in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how corresponder 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 {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Este premio corresponde a la descripción cada día.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.”
  2. “Este premio corresponde a la descripción cada día.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.”
  3. “Este premio corresponde a la descripción siempre.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.”
  4. “Este premio corresponde a la descripción todos los días.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “Este premio correspondió a la descripción ayer.” — “This prize corresponded to the description.” (preterite) 6. “Este premio correspondió a la descripción ayer.” — “This prize corresponded to the description.” (preterite) 7. “Este premio correspondía a la descripción cuando era joven.” — “This prize used to correspond to the description.” (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 {verb} stays the same. 8. “Este premio corresponderá a la descripción mañana.” — “This prize will correspond to the description.” (future) 9. “Este premio ha correspondido a la descripción hoy.” — “This prize has corresponded to the description.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que este premio corresponda a la descripción.” — “I hope that this prize corresponds to the description.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “Este premio corresponde a la descripción cada semana.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.” 12. “Estos premios corresponden a la descripción normalmente.” — “These prizes corresponds to the description.”

corresponder 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 corresponder appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue at work during a coffee break

Marta: “¿Este premio corresponde a la descripción?” — This prize corresponds to the description?

Carlos: “Sí, este premio corresponde a la descripción cada día.” — Yes, it corresponds to the description every day.

Marta: “¿Y estos premios? ¿También corresponden a la descripción?” — And the others? They correspond to the description too?

Carlos: “Sí, todos corresponden a la descripción. Es normal.” — Yes, they all correspond to the description. It is normal.

A short paragraph

Este premio corresponde a la descripción cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how corresponder works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo correspondo a la descripción — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make corresponder yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is correspondí, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — correspondi — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of corresponder.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he correspondido a la descripción. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy correspondido is not the present perfect of corresponder — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing corresponder with cosechar

corresponder and cosechar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of corresponder — correspond — the sentence needs corresponder; if it needs the meaning of cosechar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo corresponda a la descripción. Using the indicative — Espero que yo correspondo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with corresponder. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of corresponder in the present?

  • A. correspondes
  • B. corresponde
  • C. correspondemos
  • D. correspondo

2. What is the tu form of corresponder in the preterite?

  • A. correspondimos
  • B. correspondiste
  • C. correspondí
  • D. correspondió

3. What is the el form of corresponder in the imperfect?

  • A. correspondías
  • B. correspondíamos
  • C. correspondíais
  • D. correspondía

4. What is the nosotros form of corresponder in the future?

  • A. corresponderá
  • B. corresponderemos
  • C. corresponderé
  • D. corresponderás

5. What is the vosotros form of corresponder in the present perfect?

  • A. he correspondido
  • B. has correspondido
  • C. ha correspondido
  • D. habéis correspondido

6. What is the ellos form of corresponder in the present subjunctive?

  • A. corresponda
  • B. correspondan
  • C. corresponda
  • D. correspondas

7. What is the yo form of corresponder in the preterite?

  • A. correspondiste
  • B. correspondió
  • C. correspondimos
  • D. correspondí

8. What is the tu form of corresponder in the imperfect?

  • A. correspondíamos
  • B. correspondías
  • C. correspondía
  • D. correspondía

9. What is the el form of corresponder in the future?

  • A. corresponderé
  • B. corresponderás
  • C. corresponderemos
  • D. corresponderá

10. What is the nosotros form of corresponder in the conditional?

  • A. correspondería
  • B. corresponderíamos
  • C. correspondería
  • D. corresponderías

Answer key

  1. correspondo — The present table gives yo = correspondo.
  2. correspondiste — The preterite table gives tu = correspondiste.
  3. correspondía — The imperfect table gives el = correspondía.
  4. corresponderemos — The future table gives nosotros = corresponderemos.
  5. habéis correspondido — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis correspondido.
  6. correspondan — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = correspondan.
  7. correspondí — The preterite table gives yo = correspondí.
  8. correspondías — The imperfect table gives tu = correspondías.
  9. corresponderá — The future table gives el = corresponderá.
  10. corresponderíamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = corresponderíamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use corresponder in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Este premio corresponde a la descripción.” — “This prize corresponds to the description.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of corresponder to learn first?

Learn the present yo form correspondo first, then the preterite yo form correspondí and the participle correspondido. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund correspondiendo next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is corresponder reflexive?

No — corresponder is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo correspondo a la descripción. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of corresponder?

On the main conjugation page for corresponder, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links