Determinar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Determinar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo determino todos los días. — I determine every day.
  2. Tú determinas en el trabajo. — You determine at work.
  3. Él determina con mi familia. — He determines with my family.
  4. Nosotros determinamos por la mañana. — We determine 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 determiné por la tarde. — Yesterday I determined in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo determinaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to determine every day.
  3. La semana pasada él determinó dos veces. — Last week He determined 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 determinaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will determine without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo determinaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would determine right now.
  3. Hoy yo he determinado dos veces. — Today I have determined twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú determines pronto. — I hope You determine soon.
  2. ¡determina, por favor! — Determine, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy determinando. — Right now I am determining.

Determinar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo determiné por la tarde. Antes, yo determinaba todos los días. Hoy yo he determinado dos veces. Mañana yo determinaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with determinar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo determinaba.

Right: Ayer yo determiné.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, determiné. The imperfect determinaba 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 determinas.

Right: Espero que tú determines.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No determina.

Right: No determines.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo determinar todos los días.

Right: Yo determino todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He determinando.

Right: He determinado.

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

Quiz: determinar in use

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

1. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of determinar in the present indicative?

- (a) determinan
- (b) determina
- (c) determinas
- (d) determino

2. What is the yo form of determinar in the preterite?

- (a) determinamos
- (b) determinó
- (c) determinaste
- (d) determiné

3. What is the tú form of determinar in the future?

- (a) determinaré
- (b) determinarás
- (c) determinará
- (d) determinaremos

4. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of determinar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of determinar in the imperfect?

- (a) determinaban
- (b) determinabas
- (c) determinaba
- (d) determinaba

6. What is the gerund of determinar?

- (a) determinar
- (b) determinado
- (c) determinando
- (d) determino

7. What is the past participle of determinar?

- (a) determinando
- (b) determinado
- (c) determiné
- (d) determinar

8. Which sentence uses determinar correctly?

- (a) *Yo determinas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo determinar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo determino todos los días.* — I determine every day.
- (d) *Yo determina todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses determinar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo determinar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo determinaba por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo determino por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo determiné por la tarde.* — Yesterday I determined in the afternoon.

10. What does determinar mean?

- (a) to dictate
- (b) to detect
- (c) to challenge
- (d) to determine

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of determinar is determinan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the preterite, the yo form of determinar is determiné. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the tú form of determinar is determinarás. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present perfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of determinar is ha determinado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of determinar is determinaban. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of determinar is determinando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy determinando». 7. (b) — The past participle of determinar is determinado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he determinado». 8. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of determinar; 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 determinar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — determinar means «to determine».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I determine' in Spanish?

Say «Yo determino 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 determined' about yesterday?

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

Is determinar reflexive?

No — determinar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo determino, tú determinas, él determina. 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 determinar?

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

Related pages