Dictar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Dictar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo dicto todos los días. — I dictate every day.
  2. Tú dictas en el trabajo. — You dictate at work.
  3. Él dicta con mi familia. — He dictates with my family.
  4. Nosotros dictamos por la mañana. — We dictate 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 dicté por la tarde. — Yesterday I dictated in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo dictaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to dictate every day.
  3. La semana pasada él dictó dos veces. — Last week He dictated 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 dictaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will dictate without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo dictaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would dictate right now.
  3. Hoy yo he dictado dos veces. — Today I have dictated twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú dictes pronto. — I hope You dictate soon.
  2. ¡dicta, por favor! — Dictate, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy dictando. — Right now I am dictating.

Dictar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo dicté por la tarde. Antes, yo dictaba todos los días. Hoy yo he dictado dos veces. Mañana yo dictaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with dictar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo dictaba.

Right: Ayer yo dicté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, dicté. The imperfect dictaba 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 dictas.

Right: Espero que tú dictes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No dicta.

Right: No dictes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo dictar todos los días.

Right: Yo dicto todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He dictando.

Right: He dictado.

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

Quiz: dictar in use

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

1. What is the yo form of dictar in the present indicative?

- (a) dicta
- (b) dicto
- (c) dictas
- (d) dictamos

2. What is the tú form of dictar in the preterite?

- (a) dictó
- (b) dicté
- (c) dictamos
- (d) dictaste

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dictar in the future?

- (a) dictarás
- (b) dictaré
- (c) dictará
- (d) dictaremos

4. What is the nosotros/as form of dictar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the yo form of dictar in the imperfect?

- (a) dictabas
- (b) dictaba
- (c) dictaba
- (d) dictábamos

6. What is the gerund of dictar?

- (a) dictar
- (b) dictado
- (c) dicto
- (d) dictando

7. What is the past participle of dictar?

- (a) dictar
- (b) dicté
- (c) dictando
- (d) dictado

8. Which sentence uses dictar correctly?

- (a) *Yo dictar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo dicto todos los días.* — I dictate every day.
- (c) *Yo dicta todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo dictas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses dictar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo dictar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo dicto por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo dicté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I dictated in the afternoon.
- (d) *Ayer yo dictaba por la tarde.*

10. What does dictar mean?

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

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the yo form of dictar is dicto. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the preterite, the tú form of dictar is dictaste. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of dictar is dictará. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present perfect, the nosotros/as form of dictar is hemos dictado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the imperfect, the yo form of dictar is dictaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of dictar is dictando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy dictando». 7. (d) — The past participle of dictar is dictado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he dictado». 8. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of dictar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of dictar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (c) — dictar means «to dictate».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I dictate' in Spanish?

Say «Yo dicto 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 dictated' about yesterday?

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

Is dictar reflexive?

No — dictar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo dicto, tú dictas, él dicta. 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 dictar?

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

Related pages