Disculpar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
disculpar means "to excuse" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows disculpar 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 disculpar, 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 disculpar
Excusing a fault
Disculpar algo means to excuse a fault: disculpo el retraso. It is the verb for small mistakes, delays and misunderstandings, not for serious wrongs.
- Cada día, yo disculpo el retraso de mi hermano. — "Every day, I excuse my brother's delay."
- Hoy, él / ella disculpa mi error en el informe. — "Today, he / she excuses my mistake in the report."
- Ayer, yo disculpé la confusión de ayer. — "Yesterday, I excused yesterday's confusion."
- Antes, yo disculpaba a los invitados por el ruido. — "Before, I used to excuse the guests for the noise."
- Mañana, yo disculparé el retraso de mi hermano. — "Tomorrow, I will excuse my brother's delay."
- Hoy, yo he disculpado mi error en el informe. — "Today, I have excused my mistake in the report."
Apologising yourself
Disculpar also has a reflexive use: me disculpo means I apologise. It is the polite, formal way to say sorry in Spanish.
- Cada día, yo disculpo la confusión de ayer. — "Every day, I excuse yesterday's confusion."
- Hoy, él / ella disculpa a los invitados por el ruido. — "Today, he / she excuses the guests for the noise."
- Ayer, yo disculpé el retraso de mi hermano. — "Yesterday, I excused my brother's delay."
- Antes, yo disculpaba mi error en el informe. — "Before, I used to excuse my mistake in the report."
- Mañana, yo disculparé la confusión de ayer. — "Tomorrow, I will excuse yesterday's confusion."
- Hoy, yo he disculpado a los invitados por el ruido. — "Today, I have excused the guests for the noise."
Disculpar in conversation
The two dialogues below show disculpar in natural conversation. The first is about excusing a fault, and the second is about apologising yourself. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú disculpas el retraso de mi hermano? — "Do you excuse my brother's delay?"
- Sí, yo disculpo el retraso de mi hermano cada día. — "Yes, I excuse my brother's delay every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú disculpaste mi error en el informe? — "And yesterday? Did you excuse my mistake in the report?"
- Sí, ayer yo disculpé mi error en el informe. — "Yes, yesterday I excused my mistake in the report."
- Mañana yo disculparé la confusión de ayer también. — "Tomorrow I will excuse yesterday's confusion too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros disculpáis la confusión de ayer? — "Do you excuse yesterday's confusion?"
- Sí, nosotros disculpamos la confusión de ayer los fines de semana. — "Yes, we excuse yesterday's confusion at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos disculpan a los invitados por el ruido? — "And them? Do they excuse the guests for the noise?"
- Sí, ellos disculpan a los invitados por el ruido también. — "Yes, they excuse the guests for the noise too."
- Mañana nosotros disculparemos la confusión de ayer otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will excuse yesterday's confusion again."
Common mistakes with disculpar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo disculpo por el ruido.
- Right: Me disculpo por el ruido.
- Why: To apologise yourself, use the reflexive form: me disculpo. Yo disculpo means I excuse someone else.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Disculpo a los invitados del ruido.
- Right: Disculpo a los invitados por el ruido.
- Why: The reason after disculpar takes por, not de: disculpo a los invitados por el ruido.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Disculpar es lo mismo que perdonar.
- Right: Disculpar means to excuse; perdonar means to forgive.
- Why: Disculpar is for small faults like delays. Perdonar is for real hurts. You disculpar a late arrival; you perdonar a betrayal.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo disculpé el retraso de mi hermano.
- Right: Cada día, yo disculpo el retraso de mi hermano.
- 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 disculpo el retraso de mi hermano ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo disculpé el retraso de mi hermano.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: disculpar in use
Ten questions on disculpar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of disculpar in the present tense?
- (a) disculpa
- (b) disculpamos
- (c) disculpo
- (d) disculpas
Answer: (c) disculpo. The i form in the present is disculpo.
2. What is the he / she form of disculpar in the present tense?
- (a) disculpamos
- (b) disculpa
- (c) disculpo
- (d) disculpas
Answer: (b) disculpa. The he / she form in the present is disculpa.
3. What is the he / she form of disculpar in the preterite tense?
- (a) disculpó
- (b) disculpé
- (c) disculpaste
- (d) disculpamos
Answer: (a) disculpó. The he / she form in the preterite is disculpó.
4. What is the i form of disculpar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) disculpo
- (b) disculpé
- (c) disculparé
- (d) disculpaba
Answer: (d) disculpaba. The i form in the imperfect is disculpaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of disculpar in the future tense?
- (a) disculpará
- (b) disculparemos
- (c) disculparé
- (d) disculparás
Answer: (c) disculparé. The i form in the future is disculparé.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) disculpé
- (b) disculpaba
- (c) disculpo
- (d) he disculpado
Answer: (d) he disculpado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he disculpado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el retraso de mi hermano.
- (a) disculpaba
- (b) disculpe
- (c) disculpa
- (d) disculpó
Answer: (b) disculpe. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: disculpe. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of disculpar in the present tense?
- (a) disculpo
- (b) disculpas
- (c) disculpa
- (d) disculpamos
Answer: (d) disculpamos. The we form in the present is disculpamos.
9. What is the i form of disculpar in the preterite tense?
- (a) disculpó
- (b) disculpamos
- (c) disculpé
- (d) disculpaste
Answer: (c) disculpé. The i form in the preterite is disculpé.
10. What is the they form of disculpar in the present tense?
- (a) disculpa
- (b) disculpan
- (c) disculpo
- (d) disculpas
Answer: (b) disculpan. The they form in the present is disculpan.
Frequently asked questions about disculpar
What is the difference between disculpar and disculparse?
Disculpo el retraso means I excuse the delay. Me disculpo means I apologise. The reflexive form is about your own apology.
Is disculpar regular?
Yes. Disculpar is a regular -ar verb: disculpo, disculpaste, disculpaba, disculparé. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes.
How do you say 'excuse me' in Spanish?
Disculpe is the formal version and perdón is the most common. Me disculpo is the fuller, more formal apology.
How can I practise disculpar?
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.