Derramar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

derramar means to spill, 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 derramo todos los días» — I spill every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use derramar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Derramar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo derramo todos los días. — I spill every day.
  2. Tú derramas en el trabajo. — You spill at work.
  3. Él derrama con mi familia. — He spills with my family.
  4. Nosotros derramamos por la mañana. — We spill 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 derramé por la tarde. — Yesterday I spilled in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo derramaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to spill every day.
  3. La semana pasada él derramó dos veces. — Last week He spilled 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 derramaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will spill without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo derramaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would spill right now.
  3. Hoy yo he derramado dos veces. — Today I have spilled twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú derrames pronto. — I hope You spill soon.
  2. ¡derrama, por favor! — Spill, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy derramando. — Right now I am spilling.

Derramar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo derramé por la tarde. Antes, yo derramaba todos los días. Hoy yo he derramado dos veces. Mañana yo derramaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with derramar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo derramaba.

Right: Ayer yo derramé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, derramé. The imperfect derramaba 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 derramas.

Right: Espero que tú derrames.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No derrama.

Right: No derrames.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo derramar todos los días.

Right: Yo derramo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He derramando.

Right: He derramado.

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

Quiz: derramar in use

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

1. What is the yo form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derrama
- (b) derramas
- (c) derramamos
- (d) derramo

2. What is the tú form of derramar in the preterite?

- (a) derramé
- (b) derramaste
- (c) derramó
- (d) derramamos

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar in the future?

- (a) derramará
- (b) derramaremos
- (c) derramaré
- (d) derramarás

4. What is the nosotros/as form of derramar in the present perfect?

- (a) has derramado
- (b) hemos derramado
- (c) ha derramado
- (d) he derramado

5. What is the yo form of derramar in the imperfect?

- (a) derramábamos
- (b) derramaba
- (c) derramabas
- (d) derramaba

6. What is the gerund of derramar?

- (a) derramo
- (b) derramado
- (c) derramar
- (d) derramando

7. What is the past participle of derramar?

- (a) derramado
- (b) derramar
- (c) derramé
- (d) derramando

8. Which sentence uses derramar correctly?

- (a) *Yo derramas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo derramar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo derrama todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo derramo todos los días.* — I spill every day.

9. Which sentence uses derramar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo derramar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo derramo por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo derramaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo derramé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I spilled in the afternoon.

10. What does derramar mean?

- (a) to knock down
- (b) to depend
- (c) to deposit
- (d) to spill

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of derramar is derramo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the preterite, the tú form of derramar is derramaste. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar is derramará. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present perfect, the nosotros/as form of derramar is hemos derramado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the imperfect, the yo form of derramar is derramaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of derramar is derramando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derramando». 7. (a) — The past participle of derramar is derramado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derramado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of derramar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of derramar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — derramar means «to spill».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I spill' in Spanish?

Say «Yo derramo 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 spilled' about yesterday?

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

Is derramar reflexive?

No — derramar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo derramo, tú derramas, él derrama. 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 derramar?

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

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