Despilfarrar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
despilfarrar means "to squander" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows despilfarrar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of despilfarrar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with despilfarrar
Everyday use
Despilfarrar means to squander. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo despilfarro el dinero — "I squander the money"
- Él despilfarra su fortuna — "He squanders his fortune"
- Yo despilfarré en tonterías — "I squandered on silly things"
- Yo despilfarraba el dinero — "I used to squander the money"
- Yo despilfarraré su fortuna — "I will squander his fortune"
- Yo he despilfarrado en tonterías — "I have squandered on silly things"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él despilfarró en tonterías — "He squandered on silly things"
- Él despilfarraba el dinero — "He used to squander the money"
- Tú despilfarrarás su fortuna — "You will squander his fortune"
- Yo despilfarraría en tonterías — "I would squander on silly things"
- Yo había despilfarrado el dinero — "I had squandered the money"
- Nosotros despilfarramos su fortuna — "We squander his fortune"
Despilfarrar in conversation
The two dialogues below show despilfarrar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú despilfarras el dinero? — "Do you squander the money?"
- Sí, yo despilfarro el dinero cada día. — "Yes, I squander the money every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú despilfarraste su fortuna? — "And yesterday? Did you squander his fortune?"
- Sí, yo despilfarré su fortuna. — "Yes, I squandered his fortune."
- Mañana, yo despilfarraré en tonterías también. — "Tomorrow, I will squander on silly things too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros despilfarráis el dinero? — "Do you squander the money?"
- Sí, nosotros despilfarramos el dinero los fines de semana. — "Yes, We squander the money at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos despilfarran su fortuna? — "And them? Do they squander his fortune?"
- Sí, ellos despilfarran su fortuna también. — "Yes, They squander his fortune too."
- Mañana nosotros despilfarraremos su fortuna otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will squander his fortune again."
Useful phrases with despilfarrar
Four patterns you can use with despilfarrar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a despilfarrar el dinero. — "I am going to squander the money."
- Quiero despilfarrar su fortuna. — "I want to squander his fortune."
- Me gusta despilfarrar en tonterías. — "I like to squander on silly things."
- Acabo de despilfarrar el dinero. — "I have just squandered the money."
Common mistakes with despilfarrar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos despilfarra el dinero.
- Right: Ellos despilfarran el dinero.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form despilfarran. The singular despilfarra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo despilfarré.
- Right: Todos los días, yo despilfarro.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy despilfarrado su fortuna.
- Right: Yo he despilfarrado su fortuna.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he despilfarrado, has despilfarrado, ha despilfarrado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo despilfarro.
- Right: Ayer, yo despilfarré.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (despilfarré). The present (despilfarro) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él despilfarra el dinero.
- Right: Espero que él despilfarre el dinero.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: despilfarre. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: despilfarrar in use
Ten questions on despilfarrar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of despilfarrar in the present tense?
- (a) despilfarraran
- (b) habrás despilfarrado
- (c) despilfarremos
- (d) despilfarro
Answer: (d) despilfarro. The I form in the present is despilfarro.
2. What is the he / she form of despilfarrar in the present tense?
- (a) despilfarraré
- (b) despilfarrara
- (c) han despilfarrado
- (d) despilfarra
Answer: (d) despilfarra. The he / she form in the present is despilfarra.
3. What is the he / she form of despilfarrar in the preterite tense?
- (a) despilfarró
- (b) despilfarrará
- (c) despilfarremos
- (d) despilfarráis
Answer: (a) despilfarró. The he / she form in the preterite is despilfarró.
4. What is the I form of despilfarrar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) despilfarren
- (b) habríamos despilfarrado
- (c) despilfarraba
- (d) habías despilfarrado
Answer: (c) despilfarraba. The I form in the imperfect is despilfarraba.
5. What is the I form of despilfarrar in the future tense?
- (a) despilfarraré
- (b) despilfarran
- (c) había despilfarrado
- (d) despilfarrarían
Answer: (a) despilfarraré. The I form in the future is despilfarraré.
6. What is the I form of despilfarrar in the present perfect tense?
- (a) despilfarraréis
- (b) habríais despilfarrado
- (c) despilfarrarías
- (d) he despilfarrado
Answer: (d) he despilfarrado. The I form in the present perfect is he despilfarrado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el dinero.
- (a) despilfarres
- (b) despilfarren
- (c) despilfarréis
- (d) despilfarre
Answer: (d) despilfarre. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is despilfarre.
8. What is the we form of despilfarrar in the present tense?
- (a) he despilfarrado
- (b) había despilfarrado
- (c) despilfarramos
- (d) despilfarrarán
Answer: (c) despilfarramos. The we form in the present is despilfarramos.
9. What is the I form of despilfarrar in the preterite tense?
- (a) despilfarro
- (b) has despilfarrado
- (c) habían despilfarrado
- (d) despilfarré
Answer: (d) despilfarré. The I form in the preterite is despilfarré.
10. What is the they form of despilfarrar in the present tense?
- (a) habrá despilfarrado
- (b) ha despilfarrado
- (c) habría despilfarrado
- (d) despilfarran
Answer: (d) despilfarran. The they form in the present is despilfarran.
Frequently asked questions about despilfarrar
Is despilfarrar regular?
Yes. Despilfarrar is a regular -ar verb: despilfarro, despilfarras, despilfarra. See the full conjugation of despilfarrar for every tense.
What is the past participle of despilfarrar?
The past participle is despilfarrado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he despilfarrado. The gerund is despilfarrando, used with estar: estoy despilfarrando.
How do I say “I squander” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo despilfarré su fortuna. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo despilfarraba en tonterías.
How can I practise despilfarrar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.