Efectuar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

efectuar means "to carry out" in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Efectuar is a formal verb meaning to carry out: efectuar un pago, efectuar una llamada. It is the verb of official and business Spanish, where llevar a cabo is the plainer alternative. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of efectuar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the efectuar present tense page.

efectuar in everyday use: examples with translations

Everyday present uses

How the verb sounds in the present, the future and in hypotheticals — the forms you will use most often.

  1. Yo efectúo un pago por internet — "I carry out a payment online"
  2. Mi amigo efectúa una llamada urgente — "My friend carries out an urgent call"
  3. Mañana, tú efectuarás una compra en la tienda — "Tomorrow, you will carry out a purchase in the shop"
  4. Yo efectuaría un viaje de negocios si pudiera — "I would carry out a business trip if I could"

Talking about the past

The same verb in the past: one finished action, a habit, something that has just happened, and something that had already happened.

  1. Ayer, yo efectué un pago por internet — "Yesterday, I carried out a payment online"
  2. Antes, nosotros efectuábamos una llamada urgente — "Before, we used to carry out an urgent call"
  3. Él ha efectuado una compra en la tienda — "He has carried out a purchase in the shop"
  4. Yo ya había efectuado un viaje de negocios antes de salir — "I already had carried out a business trip before leaving"

Wishes, conditions and commands

The verb after espero que, in si clauses, as a command — and in the conditional perfect, for what would have happened.

  1. Espero que él efectúe un pago por internet — "I hope he carries out a payment online"
  2. Si yo efectuara una llamada urgente, todo cambiaría — "If I carried out an urgent call, everything would change"
  3. Efectúa una compra en la tienda. — "Carry out a purchase in the shop."
  4. Yo habría efectuado un viaje de negocios con más tiempo — "I would have carried out a business trip with more time"

efectuar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use efectuar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about it.

  • Lucía: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Lucía: Yo efectúo un pago por internet — "I carry out a payment online"
  • Marcos: Él efectúa una llamada urgente — "He carries out an urgent call"
  • Lucía: Ayer, yo efectué una compra en la tienda — "Yesterday, I carried out a purchase in the shop"
  • Marcos: Mañana, tú efectuarás un viaje de negocios — "Tomorrow, you will carry out a business trip"

A practical exchange.

  • Marcos: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Marcos: Efectúa una revisión del coche. — "Carry out a check-up of the car."
  • Lucía: Él ha efectuado un pago por internet — "He has carried out a payment online"
  • Marcos: Espero que él efectúe una llamada urgente — "I hope he carries out an urgent call"
  • Lucía: Antes, yo efectuaba una compra en la tienda — "Before, I used to carry out a purchase in the shop"

Common mistakes with efectuar

The errors learners actually make with efectuar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ *Espero que él efectúa un viaje de negocios

✓ Correct: Espero que él efectúe un viaje de negocios

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él efectúe un viaje de negocios — not the indicative Espero que él efectúa un viaje de negocios.

✗ *Ayer, yo efectúo una revisión del coche

✓ Correct: Ayer, yo efectué una revisión del coche

Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo efectué una revisión del coche.

✗ *De niño, yo efectué un pago por internet todos los días

✓ Correct: De niño, yo efectuaba un pago por internet todos los días

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo efectuaba un pago por internet todos los días.

✗ *Yo efectúo en una compra en la tienda.

✓ Correct: Yo efectúo una compra en la tienda.

efectuar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo efectúo una compra en la tienda.

✗ *Vosotros efectuais una llamada urgente.

✓ Correct: Vosotros efectuáis una llamada urgente.

The vosotros present form carries a written accent: efectuáis, not efectuais.

Quiz: efectuar in use

Ten questions on efectuar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ un pago por internet — "I carry out a payment online" (present) A. efectuamos B. efectúo C. efectúas D. efectúa

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ una llamada urgente — "Yesterday, I carried out an urgent call" (preterite) A. efectué B. efectuaste C. efectuó D. efectuamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ______ una compra en la tienda — "Before, we used to carry out a purchase in the shop" (imperfect) A. efectuabas B. efectuabais C. efectuábamos D. efectuaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ______ un viaje de negocios — "Tomorrow, you will carry out a business trip" (future) A. efectuaré B. efectuará C. efectuaremos D. efectuarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ una revisión del coche — "I would carry out a check-up of the car" (conditional) A. efectuaría B. efectuarías C. efectuaríamos D. efectuaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Él ______ un pago por internet — "He has carried out a payment online" (present perfect) A. has efectuado B. hemos efectuado C. ha efectuado D. he efectuado

  7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ una llamada urgente — "I hope he carries out an urgent call" (present subjunctive) A. efectuemos B. efectuéis C. efectúe D. efectúes

  8. Complete the sentence: ______ una compra en la tienda. — "Carry out a purchase in the shop." (affirmative imperative) A. efectuemos B. efectuad C. efectúa D. efectúe

  9. Which is the gerund of efectuar, used with estar for the progressive? A. efectuado B. efectúo C. efectué D. efectuando

  10. What does efectuar mean in English? A. to draw B. to carry out C. to enjoy D. to cross

Answer key

  1. efectúo — The present form for yo is efectúo.
  2. efectué — The preterite form for yo is efectué.
  3. efectuábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is efectuábamos.
  4. efectuarás — The future form for tú is efectuarás.
  5. efectuaría — The conditional form for yo is efectuaría.
  6. ha efectuado — The present perfect form for él/ella/Ud. is ha efectuado.
  7. efectúe — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is efectúe.
  8. efectúa — The affirmative imperative form is efectúa.
  9. efectuando — The gerund of efectuar is efectuando: estoy efectuando. The participle efectuado is used with haber instead.
  10. to carry out — efectuar means to carry out.

Frequently asked questions

What does efectuar mean in English?

efectuar means to carry out. For example: Yo efectúo un pago por internet — "I carry out a payment online". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

What preposition goes with efectuar?

efectuar takes its complement directly, with no preposition, as in the examples above. Adding an extra preposition is a common learner error.

Is efectuar regular?

Yes. efectuar is a regular -ar verb, so once you know the endings for its class you can conjugate it in every tense.

How do I practise efectuar?

Start with the present tense table on the full conjugation page, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure, and come back to the sentences above until you can say them without looking.

Related links