Disparar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Disparar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo disparo todos los días. — I shoot every day.
  2. Tú disparas en el trabajo. — You shoot at work.
  3. Él dispara con mi familia. — He shoots with my family.
  4. Nosotros disparamos por la mañana. — We shoot 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 disparé por la tarde. — Yesterday I shot in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo disparaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to shoot every day.
  3. La semana pasada él disparó dos veces. — Last week He shot 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 dispararé sin falta. — Tomorrow I will shoot without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo dispararía ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would shoot right now.
  3. Hoy yo he disparado dos veces. — Today I have shot twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú dispares pronto. — I hope You shoot soon.
  2. ¡dispara, por favor! — Shoot, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy disparando. — Right now I am shooting.

Disparar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo disparé por la tarde. Antes, yo disparaba todos los días. Hoy yo he disparado dos veces. Mañana yo dispararé sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with disparar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo disparaba.

Right: Ayer yo disparé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, disparé. The imperfect disparaba 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 disparas.

Right: Espero que tú dispares.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No dispara.

Right: No dispares.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo disparar todos los días.

Right: Yo disparo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He disparando.

Right: He disparado.

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

Quiz: disparar in use

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

1. What is the tú form of disparar in the present indicative?

- (a) dispara
- (b) disparamos
- (c) disparas
- (d) disparo

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of disparar in the preterite?

- (a) disparé
- (b) disparó
- (c) disparamos
- (d) disparaste

3. What is the nosotros/as form of disparar in the future?

- (a) dispararás
- (b) dispararé
- (c) dispararemos
- (d) disparará

4. What is the vosotros/as form of disparar in the present perfect?

- (a) has disparado
- (b) ha disparado
- (c) habéis disparado
- (d) he disparado

5. What is the tú form of disparar in the imperfect?

- (a) disparaba
- (b) disparábamos
- (c) disparaba
- (d) disparabas

6. What is the gerund of disparar?

- (a) disparando
- (b) disparado
- (c) disparo
- (d) disparar

7. What is the past participle of disparar?

- (a) disparar
- (b) disparando
- (c) disparé
- (d) disparado

8. Which sentence uses disparar correctly?

- (a) *Yo disparar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo dispara todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo disparo todos los días.* — I shoot every day.
- (d) *Yo disparas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses disparar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo disparar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo disparé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I shot in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo disparo por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo disparaba por la tarde.*

10. What does disparar mean?

- (a) to get ready
- (b) to shoot, to fire
- (c) to enjoy
- (d) to displease

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I shoot' in Spanish?

Say «Yo disparo 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 shot' about yesterday?

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

Is disparar reflexive?

No — disparar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo disparo, tú disparas, él dispara. 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 disparar?

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

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