Ejemplificar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
ejemplificar means "to exemplify" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see ejemplificar with the rule with a case, the theory with data, the problem with a story and his idea with a drawing — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. — "Every day, I exemplify the rule with a case." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
ejemplificar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with ejemplificar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. — "Every day, I exemplify the rule with a case." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo ejemplifiqué la teoría con datos. — "Yesterday, I exemplified the theory with data." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo ejemplificaba el problema con una historia. — "In the past, I used to exemplify the problem with a story." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros ejemplificaremos su idea con un dibujo. — "Tomorrow, we will exemplify his idea with a drawing." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú ejemplificarías la regla con un caso. — "If you could, you would exemplify the rule with a case." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he ejemplificado la teoría con datos. — "I have exemplified the theory with data." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él ejemplifica el problema con una historia. — "Normally, he/she exemplifies the problem with a story." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él ejemplificó su idea con un dibujo. — "Yesterday, he/she exemplified his idea with a drawing." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros ejemplificábamos la regla con un caso. — "In the past, we used to exemplify the rule with a case." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo ejemplificaré la teoría con datos. — "Tomorrow, I will exemplify the theory with data." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él ejemplifique el problema con una historia. — "I hope that he/she exemplifies the problem with a story." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Ejemplifica su idea con un dibujo! — "Exemplify his idea with a drawing!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using ejemplificar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the rule with a case, the theory with data, the problem with a story and his idea with a drawing.
Dialogue 1: talking about the rule with a case
Lucía: ¿Tú ejemplificas la regla con un caso? — "Do you exemplify the rule with a case?" Pedro: Sí, yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. — "I exemplify the rule with a case." Lucía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Pedro: Ayer, yo ejemplifiqué la teoría con datos. — "Yesterday, I exemplified the theory with data." Lucía: Mañana, nosotros ejemplificaremos el problema con una historia. — "Tomorrow, we will exemplify the problem with a story." Pedro: Si pudiera, yo ejemplificaría su idea con un dibujo. — "If I could, I would exemplify his idea with a drawing." Lucía: Antes, yo ejemplificaba la teoría con datos. — "In the past, I used to exemplify the theory with data." Pedro: Yo he ejemplificado la regla con un caso. — "I have exemplified the rule with a case." Lucía: ¡Ejemplifica el problema con una historia! — "Exemplify the problem with a story!"
In this dialogue ejemplificar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the problem with a story
Lucía: Él ejemplifica el problema con una historia. — "he/she exemplifies the problem with a story." Pedro: ¿De verdad? ¿Él ejemplifica el problema con una historia todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she exemplifies the problem with a story every day?" Lucía: Sí, y ellos ejemplifican su idea con un dibujo. — "they exemplify his idea with a drawing." Pedro: Ayer, ellos ejemplificaron el problema con una historia. — "Yesterday, they exemplified the problem with a story." Lucía: Espero que él ejemplifique su idea con un dibujo. — "I hope that he/she exemplifies his idea with a drawing." Pedro: Mañana, él ejemplificará el problema con una historia. — "Tomorrow, he/she will exemplify the problem with a story." Lucía: Antes, nosotros ejemplificábamos su idea con un dibujo. — "In the past, we used to exemplify his idea with a drawing." Pedro: Nosotros ejemplificamos la regla con un caso también. — "we exemplify the rule with a case too."
This dialogue shows ejemplificar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with ejemplificar
The errors learners actually make with ejemplificar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me ejemplifico la regla con un caso.
- Right: Yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso.
- Why: ejemplificar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo ejemplificar la regla con un caso.
- Right: Yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso.
- Why: The infinitive ejemplificar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form ejemplifico.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo ejemplifico la teoría con datos.
- Right: Ayer, yo ejemplifiqué la teoría con datos.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo ejemplifiqué la teoría con datos. — "Yesterday, I exemplified the theory with data."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy ejemplificado el problema con una historia.
- Right: Estoy ejemplificando el problema con una historia.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund ejemplificando for the progressive. The participle ejemplificado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he ejemplificado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros ejemplifica la regla con un caso.
- Right: Nosotros ejemplificamos la regla con un caso.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes ejemplificamos, while ejemplifica belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: ejemplificar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on ejemplificar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of ejemplificar in the present tense?
- (a) ejemplificamos
- (b) ejemplifico
- (c) ejemplificas
- (d) ejemplifica
Answer: (b) ejemplifico. The yo form is ejemplifico.
2. What is the tú form of ejemplificar in the present tense?
- (a) ejemplificas
- (b) ejemplifico
- (c) ejemplifica
- (d) ejemplificamos
Answer: (a) ejemplificas. The tú form is ejemplificas.
3. What is the él/ella form of ejemplificar in the present tense?
- (a) ejemplifico
- (b) ejemplificas
- (c) ejemplificamos
- (d) ejemplifica
Answer: (d) ejemplifica. The él/ella form is ejemplifica.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la regla con un caso.
- (a) ejemplifica
- (b) ejemplificamos
- (c) ejemplifico
- (d) ejemplificas
Answer: (c) ejemplifico. The sentence needs the yo form ejemplifico.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ la teoría con datos.
- (a) ejemplificamos
- (b) ejemplifiqué
- (c) ejemplificaste
- (d) ejemplificó
Answer: (b) ejemplifiqué. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is ejemplifiqué.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el problema con una historia.
- (a) ejemplificaba
- (b) ejemplificabas
- (c) ejemplificábamos
- (d) ejemplificabais
Answer: (a) ejemplificaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is ejemplificaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ su idea con un dibujo.
- (a) ejemplificarás
- (b) ejemplificará
- (c) ejemplificaremos
- (d) ejemplificaré
Answer: (d) ejemplificaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is ejemplificaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la regla con un caso.
- (a) has ejemplificado
- (b) ha ejemplificado
- (c) hemos ejemplificado
- (d) he ejemplificado
Answer: (d) he ejemplificado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he ejemplificado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el problema con una historia.
- (a) ejemplifiquéis
- (b) ejemplifique
- (c) ejemplifiques
- (d) ejemplifiquemos
Answer: (b) ejemplifique. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is ejemplifique.
10. What does ejemplificar mean in English?
- (a) to be pleased
- (b) to exemplify
- (c) to be quiet
- (d) to take (a long time), to be late
Answer: (b) to exemplify. ejemplificar means "to exemplify" in English.
Frequently asked questions about ejemplificar
What does ejemplificar mean?
ejemplificar means "to exemplify" in English. Use it when you talk about the rule with a case, the theory with data, the problem with a story and his idea with a drawing — for example: Cada día, yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. — "Every day, I exemplify the rule with a case."
Is there a reflexive form of ejemplificar?
No. ejemplificar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo ejemplifico la regla con un caso. — "Every day, I exemplify the rule with a case."
What is the most common mistake with ejemplificar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the c becomes qu before e, so the yo preterite is ejemplifiqué and the subjunctive forms start with qu, for example ejemplifique. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise ejemplificar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.