Devolver Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
devolver means "to return (something)" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows devolver 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 devolver, 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 devolver
Returning something borrowed
Devolver means to return something: devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. The thing returned is the direct object, and the person or place is the indirect object.
- Cada día, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "Every day, I return the book to the library."
- Hoy, él / ella devuelve el dinero a mi amigo. — "Today, he / she returns the money to my friend."
- Ayer, yo devolví la llamada de mi madre. — "Yesterday, I returned my mother's call."
- Antes, yo devolvía el favor con ayuda. — "Before, I used to return the favour with help."
- Mañana, yo devolveré el libro a la biblioteca. — "Tomorrow, I will return the book to the library."
- Hoy, yo he devuelto el dinero a mi amigo. — "Today, I have returned the money to my friend."
Returning a call or a favour
Devolver also works with calls and favours: devuelvo la llamada means I return the call. It is the standard verb for giving back what you received.
- Cada día, yo devuelvo la llamada de mi madre. — "Every day, I return my mother's call."
- Hoy, él / ella devuelve el favor con ayuda. — "Today, he / she returns the favour with help."
- Ayer, yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca. — "Yesterday, I returned the book to the library."
- Antes, yo devolvía el dinero a mi amigo. — "Before, I used to return the money to my friend."
- Mañana, yo devolveré la llamada de mi madre. — "Tomorrow, I will return my mother's call."
- Hoy, yo he devuelto el favor con ayuda. — "Today, I have returned the favour with help."
Devolver in conversation
The two dialogues below show devolver in natural conversation. The first is about returning something borrowed, and the second is about returning a call or a favour. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú devuelves el libro a la biblioteca? — "Do you return the book to the library?"
- Sí, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca cada día. — "Yes, I return the book to the library every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú devolviste el dinero a mi amigo? — "And yesterday? Did you return the money to my friend?"
- Sí, ayer yo devolví el dinero a mi amigo. — "Yes, yesterday I returned the money to my friend."
- Mañana yo devolveré la llamada de mi madre también. — "Tomorrow I will return my mother's call too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros devolvéis la llamada de mi madre? — "Do you return my mother's call?"
- Sí, nosotros devolvemos la llamada de mi madre los fines de semana. — "Yes, we return my mother's call at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos devuelven el favor con ayuda? — "And them? Do they return the favour with help?"
- Sí, ellos devuelven el favor con ayuda también. — "Yes, they return the favour with help too."
- Mañana nosotros devolveremos la llamada de mi madre otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will return my mother's call again."
Common mistakes with devolver in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo devolvo el libro.
- Right: Yo devuelvo el libro.
- Why: Devolver is a stem-changing verb: o becomes ue in the stressed forms. The yo form is devuelvo, not devolvo.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: He devolvido el libro.
- Right: He devuelto el libro.
- Why: The past participle is devuelto, not devolvido. It is one of the irregular participles you have to memorise: devuelto, like vuelto and puesto.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Devolver es lo mismo que regresar.
- Right: Devolver means to return something; regresar means to return somewhere.
- Why: Devolver takes an object: devuelvo el libro. Regresar takes a place: regreso a casa. The two verbs are not interchangeable.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca.
- Right: Cada día, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca.
- Why: Cada día 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 5
- Wrong: Yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: devolver in use
Ten questions on devolver across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelve
- (b) devolvemos
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (c) devuelvo. The i form in the present is devuelvo.
2. What is the he / she form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devolvemos
- (b) devuelve
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (b) devuelve. The he / she form in the present is devuelve.
3. What is the he / she form of devolver in the preterite tense?
- (a) devolvió
- (b) devolví
- (c) devolviste
- (d) devolvimos
Answer: (a) devolvió. The he / she form in the preterite is devolvió.
4. What is the i form of devolver in the imperfect tense?
- (a) devuelvo
- (b) devolví
- (c) devolveré
- (d) devolvía
Answer: (d) devolvía. The i form in the imperfect is devolvía. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of devolver in the future tense?
- (a) devolverá
- (b) devolveremos
- (c) devolveré
- (d) devolverás
Answer: (c) devolveré. The i form in the future is devolveré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) devolví
- (b) devolvía
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) he devuelto
Answer: (d) he devuelto. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he devuelto.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el libro a la biblioteca.
- (a) devolvía
- (b) devuelva
- (c) devuelve
- (d) devolvió
Answer: (b) devuelva. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: devuelva. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelvo
- (b) devuelves
- (c) devuelve
- (d) devolvemos
Answer: (d) devolvemos. The we form in the present is devolvemos.
9. What is the i form of devolver in the preterite tense?
- (a) devolvió
- (b) devolvimos
- (c) devolví
- (d) devolviste
Answer: (c) devolví. The i form in the preterite is devolví.
10. What is the they form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelve
- (b) devuelven
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (b) devuelven. The they form in the present is devuelven.
Frequently asked questions about devolver
Is devolver a stem-changing verb?
Yes. The stem changes from o to ue in the stressed present forms: devuelvo, devuelves, devuelve, devuelven. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep o: devolvemos, devolvéis.
What is the past participle of devolver?
Devuelto. All the perfect tenses use it: he devuelto, había devuelto, habré devuelto. Do not write devolvido.
What is the difference between devolver and regresar?
Devolver returns a thing: devuelvo el libro. Regresar returns a person to a place: regreso a casa. One takes an object, the other takes a destination.
How can I practise devolver?
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.