Delatar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

delatar means to betray, to give away, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo delato todos los días» — I betray every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use delatar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Delatar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where delatar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo delato todos los días. — I betray every day.
  2. Tú delatas en el trabajo. — You betray at work.
  3. Él delata con mi familia. — He betrays with my family.
  4. Nosotros delatamos por la mañana. — We betray in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo delaté por la tarde. — Yesterday I betrayed in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo delataba todos los días. — In the past, I used to betray every day.
  3. La semana pasada él delató dos veces. — Last week He betrayed twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo delataré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will betray without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo delataría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would betray right now.
  3. Hoy yo he delatado dos veces. — Today I have betrayed twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú delates pronto. — I hope You betray soon.
  2. ¡delata, por favor! — Betray, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy delatando. — Right now I am betraying.

Delatar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo delato en el trabajo.» — I betray at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo delato con mi familia.» — I betray with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo delataré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will betray without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo delataría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would betray right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he delatado dos veces.» — Today I have betrayed twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo delaté por la tarde. Antes, yo delataba todos los días. Hoy yo he delatado dos veces. Mañana yo delataré sin falta.

Yesterday I betrayed in the afternoon. In the past, I used to betray every day. Today I have betrayed twice. Tomorrow I will betray without fail.

Common mistakes with delatar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo delataba.

Right: Ayer yo delaté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, delaté. The imperfect delataba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú delatas.

Right: Espero que tú delates.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: delates, not the indicative delatas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No delata.

Right: No delates.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no delates. The affirmative delata can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo delatar todos los días.

Right: Yo delato todos los días.

The infinitive delatar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo delato.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He delatando.

Right: He delatado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he delatado. The gerund delatando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy delatando»), never with haber.

Quiz: delatar in use

Test yourself on delatar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of delatar in the present indicative?

- (a) delatas
- (b) delatamos
- (c) delato
- (d) delata

2. What is the nosotros/as form of delatar in the preterite?

- (a) delatamos
- (b) delataste
- (c) delaté
- (d) delató

3. What is the vosotros/as form of delatar in the future?

- (a) delatará
- (b) delataréis
- (c) delataré
- (d) delatarás

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of delatar in the present perfect?

- (a) has delatado
- (b) he delatado
- (c) ha delatado
- (d) han delatado

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of delatar in the imperfect?

- (a) delataba
- (b) delatábamos
- (c) delatabas
- (d) delataba

6. What is the gerund of delatar?

- (a) delatar
- (b) delato
- (c) delatando
- (d) delatado

7. What is the past participle of delatar?

- (a) delatando
- (b) delatar
- (c) delatado
- (d) delaté

8. Which sentence uses delatar correctly?

- (a) *Yo delato todos los días.* — I betray every day.
- (b) *Yo delatas todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo delata todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo delatar todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses delatar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo delaté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I betrayed in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo delatar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo delataba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo delato por la tarde.*

10. What does delatar mean?

- (a) to betray, to give away
- (b) to sue
- (c) to devote oneself to
- (d) to get damaged

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of delatar is delata. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the nosotros/as form of delatar is delatamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the vosotros/as form of delatar is delataréis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of delatar is han delatado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of delatar is delataba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of delatar is delatando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy delatando». 7. (c) — The past participle of delatar is delatado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he delatado». 8. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of delatar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of delatar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (a) — delatar means «to betray, to give away».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I betray' in Spanish?

Say «Yo delato todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I betrayed' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo delaté por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is delatar reflexive?

No — delatar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo delato, tú delatas, él delata. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with delatar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (delaté) for a single finished event and the imperfect (delataba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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