Denunciar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

denunciar means “to report, to denounce” 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. Denunciar means to report or to denounce, to tell the police or the authorities about a crime or a wrong. It is used for thefts, fraud and abuse, and it is fully regular. 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 denunciar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the denunciar present tense page.

denunciar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo denuncio el robo a la policía. — “I report the robbery to the police.”
  2. Él denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. — “He reports the fraud to the authorities.”
  3. Nosotros denunciamos a su vecino por el ruido. — “We report his neighbour for the noise.”
  4. Ellos denuncian la situación ante el juez. — “They report the situation before the judge.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo denuncié el fraude a las autoridades. — “Yesterday, I reported the fraud to the authorities.”
  2. Antes, nosotros denunciábamos a su vecino por el ruido. — “Before, we used to report his neighbour for the noise.”
  3. Él denunció la situación ante el juez. — “He reported the situation before the judge.”
  4. Yo ya había denunciado el robo a la policía antes de salir. — “I had already reported the robbery to the police before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú denunciarás el robo a la policía. — “Tomorrow, you will report the robbery to the police.”
  2. Yo denunciaría el fraude a las autoridades si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would report the fraud to the authorities if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha denunciado a su vecino por el ruido. — “He has reported his neighbour for the noise.”
  4. Espero que él denuncie la situación ante el juez. — “I hope he reports the situation before the judge.”

denunciar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use denunciar 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 denuncio el robo a la policía. — “I report the robbery to the police.”
  • Bea: Él denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. — “He reports the fraud to the authorities.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo denuncié el fraude a las autoridades. — “Yesterday, I reported the fraud to the authorities.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú denunciarás el robo a la policía. — “Tomorrow, you will report the robbery to the police.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros denunciamos a su vecino por el ruido. — “We report his neighbour for the noise.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros denunciábamos a su vecino por el ruido. — “Before, we used to report his neighbour for the noise.”
  • Luis: Yo denunciaría el fraude a las autoridades si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would report the fraud to the authorities if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él denuncie la situación ante el juez. — “I hope he reports the situation before the judge.”

A short scene with denunciar

A short scene shows how denunciar works across the day. In the morning: Denuncio el robo a la policía. In the afternoon: Denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, denuncié a su vecino por el ruido. And tomorrow: Mañana, denunciaré la situación ante el juez. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how denunciar 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 denunciar

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

✗ Yo denuncia el robo a la policía.

✓ Correct: Yo denuncio el robo a la policía.

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

✗ Ayer yo denuncio el fraude a las autoridades.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo denuncié el fraude a las autoridades.

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

✗ Treating denunciar and acusar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Denunciar means to report, to denounce, while acusar means to accuse someone.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: denunciar fits sentences such as Denuncio el robo a la policía, while acusar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy denunciado el fraude a las autoridades.

✓ Correct: Yo he denunciado el fraude a las autoridades.

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

✗ De niño, yo denuncié a su vecino por el ruido todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo denunciaba a su vecino por el ruido todos los días.

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

Quiz: denunciar in use

Ten questions on denunciar — 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 fraude a las autoridades. — “He/she reports the fraud to the authorities.”

  • a) denuncia
  • b) denuncio
  • c) denuncias
  • d) denunciamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ a su vecino por el ruido. — “Yesterday, I reported his neighbour for the noise.”

  • a) denunciaste
  • b) denunció
  • c) denunciaron
  • d) denuncié

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ la situación ante el juez cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to report the situation before the judge when they were young.”

  • a) denunciabas
  • b) denunciábamos
  • c) denunciaban
  • d) denunciaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ el robo a la policía. — “Tomorrow, we will report the robbery to the police.”

  • a) denunciarán
  • b) denunciaremos
  • c) denunciaré
  • d) denunciarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el fraude a las autoridades si pudiera. — “He would report the fraud to the authorities if he could.”

  • a) denunciaría
  • b) denunciarías
  • c) denunciaríamos
  • d) denuncio

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a su vecino por el ruido. — “I have reported his neighbour for the noise.”

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ la situación ante el juez. — “I hope you report the situation before the judge.”

  • a) denunciemos
  • b) denuncio
  • c) denuncies
  • d) denuncie

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

  • a) denuncié
  • b) denunciado
  • c) denunciando
  • d) denuncio

9. What does denunciar mean in English?

  • a) to report, to denounce
  • b) to accuse someone
  • c) to chat, to converse
  • d) to derive, to drift

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él denuncia el fraude a las autoridades.
  • b) Él denuncio el fraude a las autoridades.
  • c) Nosotros denuncia a su vecino por el ruido.
  • d) Yo denuncia el robo a la policía.

Answer key

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  9. a) to report, to denounce — denunciar means to report, to denounce. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. — Él denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. 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 denunciar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Denuncio el robo a la policía and Denuncia el fraude a las autoridades. 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 denunciar and acusar?

Denunciar means “to report, to denounce”, while acusar means “to accuse someone”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use denunciar when you mean “to report, to denounce” and acusar when you mean “to accuse someone”.

Which tense do I need most with denunciar?

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

Denunciar 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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