Introduction
Distribuir means “to distribute”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Distribuir means to distribute, and it is used for handing out food, money, leaflets and work: distribuir la comida, distribuir el trabajo. It is a -uir verb: yo distribuyo, él distribuye, with y before the vowel endings. This page shows distribuir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — I distribute food among the children.
Distribuir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how distribuir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use distribuir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — I distribute food among the children.
“¿Distribuyes el trabajo en el equipo?” — Do you distribute work in the team?
“Distribuye folletos en la calle.” — He/she distributes leaflets in the street.
“Nosotros distribuimos el dinero entre todos.” — We distribute money among everyone.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show distribuir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo distribuí la comida entre los niños.” — Yesterday, I distributed food among the children. (preterite)
“Antes, él distribuía el trabajo en el equipo.” — Before, he used to distribute work in the team. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of distribuir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros distribuiremos folletos en la calle.” — Tomorrow, we will distribute leaflets in the street. (future)
“¿Tú has distribuido el dinero entre todos?” — Have you distributed money among everyone? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros distribuís la comida entre los niños.” — You distribute food among the children.
“Ellos distribuyen el trabajo en el equipo.” — They distribute work in the team.
“Yo distribuyo folletos en la calle.” — I distribute leaflets in the street.
“Mi padre distribuye el dinero entre todos.” — My father distributes money among everyone.
Distribuir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how distribuir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú distribuyes el trabajo en el equipo?” — Do you distribute work in the team?
Pedro: “Sí, yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — Yes, I distribute food among the children.
Marta: “Nosotros distribuimos el dinero entre todos.” — We distribute money among everyone.
Pedro: “Y ellos distribuyen el trabajo en el equipo.” — And they distribute work in the team.
Marta: “Vosotros distribuís folletos en la calle.” — You distribute leaflets in the street.
Pedro: “Sí, y él distribuye la comida entre los niños.” — Yes, and he distributes food among the children.
A short paragraph
Distribuye la comida entre los niños, y nosotros distribuimos el dinero entre todos. Yo distribuyo el trabajo en el equipo, y ellos distribuyen folletos en la calle. Distribuir is part of everyday life, because distribute is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with distribuir
These are the errors learners actually make with distribuir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo distribuye la comida entre los niños.” Right: “Yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” Why: The person matters: distribuye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is distribuyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo distribuo el trabajo en el equipo.” Right: “Yo distribuyo el trabajo en el equipo.” Why: Distribuir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is distribuyo and distribuye, and the gerund is distribuyendo. The form distribuyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating distribuir and repartir as identical in every context.” Right: “Distribuir means to distribute, while repartir means to share out.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: distribuir fits sentences such as Distribuyo la comida entre los niños, while repartir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy distribuido el trabajo en el equipo.” Right: “Yo he distribuido el trabajo en el equipo.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he distribuido, has distribuido, ha distribuido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo distribuí folletos en la calle todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo distribuía folletos en la calle todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (distribuía), not the preterite. The preterite (distribuí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: distribuir in use
Ten questions on distribuir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ la comida entre los niños.” (You distribute food among the children.)
- (a) distribuís
- (b) distribuyo
- (c) distribuyes
Answer: distribuís — The vosotros/as form of distribuir in the present tense is distribuís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el trabajo en el equipo.” (They distribute work in the team.)
- (a) distribuyes
- (b) distribuyen
- (c) distribuyo
Answer: distribuyen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of distribuir in the present tense is distribuyen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la comida entre los niños.” (Yesterday I distributed food among the children.)
- (a) distribuiste
- (b) distribuyó
- (c) distribuí
Answer: distribuí — In the preterite, the yo form of distribuir is distribuí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el trabajo en el equipo.” (Before, he used to distribute work in the team.)
- (a) distribuía
- (b) distribuyo
- (c) distribuías
Answer: distribuía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of distribuir is distribuía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ folletos en la calle.” (Tomorrow we will distribute leaflets in the street.)
- (a) distribuirás
- (b) distribuiremos
- (c) distribuiré
Answer: distribuiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of distribuir is distribuiremos.
6. What does distribuir mean in English?
- (a) to distribute
- (b) to distinguish
- (c) to share out
Answer: to distribute — Distribuir means “to distribute”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo distribuye la comida entre los niños.
- (b) Ellos distribuye el trabajo en el equipo.
- (c) Yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños.
Answer: Yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños. — “Yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I distribute food among the children.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre distribuye el dinero entre todos.
- (b) Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.
- (c) Distribuyen la comida entre los niños.
Answer: Distribuyo la comida entre los niños. — “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of distribuir in the present tense?
- (a) distribuyo
- (b) distribuyes
- (c) distribuimos
Answer: distribuimos — The nosotros form is distribuimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros distribuiremos folletos en la calle.
- (b) Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.
- (c) Ayer, yo distribuí la comida entre los niños.
Answer: Distribuyo la comida entre los niños. — “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I distribute food among the children' in Spanish?
Say 'Distribuyo la comida entre los niños'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Distribuyo la comida entre los niños todos los días'.
How do you say 'He distributes work in the team' in Spanish?
Say 'Él distribuye el trabajo en el equipo'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes distribuye.
What is the difference between distribuir and repartir?
Distribuir means to distribute, while repartir means to share out. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use distribuir when you mean to distribute, as in 'Distribuyo la comida entre los niños', and use repartir for to share out.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of distribuir — every tense of distribuir in one place.
- Distribuir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on distribuir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of distribuir until they are automatic.