Derrotar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Derrotar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo derroto todos los días. — I defeat every day.
  2. Tú derrotas en el trabajo. — You defeat at work.
  3. Él derrota con mi familia. — He defeats with my family.
  4. Nosotros derrotamos por la mañana. — We defeat 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 derroté por la tarde. — Yesterday I defeated in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo derrotaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to defeat every day.
  3. La semana pasada él derrotó dos veces. — Last week He defeated 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 derrotaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will defeat without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo derrotaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would defeat right now.
  3. Hoy yo he derrotado dos veces. — Today I have defeated twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú derrotes pronto. — I hope You defeat soon.
  2. ¡derrota, por favor! — Defeat, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy derrotando. — Right now I am defeating.

Derrotar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo derroté por la tarde. Antes, yo derrotaba todos los días. Hoy yo he derrotado dos veces. Mañana yo derrotaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with derrotar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo derrotaba.

Right: Ayer yo derroté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, derroté. The imperfect derrotaba 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 derrotas.

Right: Espero que tú derrotes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No derrota.

Right: No derrotes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo derrotar todos los días.

Right: Yo derroto todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He derrotando.

Right: He derrotado.

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

Quiz: derrotar in use

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

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

- (a) derrotas
- (b) derrota
- (c) derrotamos
- (d) derroto

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

- (a) derrotó
- (b) derrotaste
- (c) derrotamos
- (d) derroté

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

- (a) derrotaréis
- (b) derrotaré
- (c) derrotarás
- (d) derrotará

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

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

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

- (a) derrotábamos
- (b) derrotabas
- (c) derrotaba
- (d) derrotaba

6. What is the gerund of derrotar?

- (a) derroto
- (b) derrotar
- (c) derrotando
- (d) derrotado

7. What is the past participle of derrotar?

- (a) derrotar
- (b) derrotado
- (c) derrotando
- (d) derroté

8. Which sentence uses derrotar correctly?

- (a) *Yo derrota todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo derroto todos los días.* — I defeat every day.
- (c) *Yo derrotar todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo derrotas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses derrotar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo derroté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I defeated in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo derrotaba por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo derroto por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo derrotar por la tarde.*

10. What does derrotar mean?

- (a) to defeat
- (b) to knock down
- (c) to spill
- (d) to challenge

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I defeat' in Spanish?

Say «Yo derroto 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 defeated' about yesterday?

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

Is derrotar reflexive?

No — derrotar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo derroto, tú derrotas, él derrota. 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 derrotar?

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

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