Derribar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Derribar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo derribo todos los días. — I knock down every day.
  2. Tú derribas en el trabajo. — You knock down at work.
  3. Él derriba con mi familia. — He knocks down with my family.
  4. Nosotros derribamos por la mañana. — We knock down 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 derribé por la tarde. — Yesterday I knocked down in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo derribaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to knock down every day.
  3. La semana pasada él derribó dos veces. — Last week He knocked down 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 derribaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will knock down without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo derribaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would knock down right now.
  3. Hoy yo he derribado dos veces. — Today I have knocked down twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú derribes pronto. — I hope You knock down soon.
  2. ¡derriba, por favor! — Knock down, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy derribando. — Right now I am knocking down.

Derribar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo derribé por la tarde. Antes, yo derribaba todos los días. Hoy yo he derribado dos veces. Mañana yo derribaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with derribar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo derribaba.

Right: Ayer yo derribé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, derribé. The imperfect derribaba 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 derribas.

Right: Espero que tú derribes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No derriba.

Right: No derribes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo derribar todos los días.

Right: Yo derribo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He derribando.

Right: He derribado.

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

Quiz: derribar in use

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

1. What is the tú form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derribas
- (b) derriba
- (c) derribo
- (d) derribamos

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derribar in the preterite?

- (a) derribó
- (b) derribaste
- (c) derribé
- (d) derribamos

3. What is the nosotros/as form of derribar in the future?

- (a) derribaré
- (b) derribaremos
- (c) derribarás
- (d) derribará

4. What is the vosotros/as form of derribar in the present perfect?

- (a) ha derribado
- (b) he derribado
- (c) habéis derribado
- (d) has derribado

5. What is the tú form of derribar in the imperfect?

- (a) derribaba
- (b) derribábamos
- (c) derribaba
- (d) derribabas

6. What is the gerund of derribar?

- (a) derribar
- (b) derribo
- (c) derribando
- (d) derribado

7. What is the past participle of derribar?

- (a) derribé
- (b) derribado
- (c) derribar
- (d) derribando

8. Which sentence uses derribar correctly?

- (a) *Yo derriba todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo derribas todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo derribo todos los días.* — I knock down every day.
- (d) *Yo derribar todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses derribar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo derribar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo derribo por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo derribaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo derribé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I knocked down in the afternoon.

10. What does derribar mean?

- (a) to defeat
- (b) to deposit
- (c) to spill
- (d) to knock down, to demolish

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of derribar is derribas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the él/ella/Ud. form of derribar is derribó. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the nosotros/as form of derribar is derribaremos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present perfect, the vosotros/as form of derribar is habéis derribado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the imperfect, the tú form of derribar is derribabas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of derribar is derribando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derribando». 7. (b) — The past participle of derribar is derribado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derribado». 8. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of derribar; 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 derribar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — derribar means «to knock down, to demolish».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I knock down' in Spanish?

Say «Yo derribo 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 knocked down' about yesterday?

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

Is derribar reflexive?

No — derribar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo derribo, tú derribas, él derriba. 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 derribar?

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

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