Emocionar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Emocionar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo emociono todos los días. — I move every day.
  2. Tú emocionas en el trabajo. — You move at work.
  3. Él emociona con mi familia. — He moves with my family.
  4. Nosotros emocionamos por la mañana. — We move 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 emocioné por la tarde. — Yesterday I moved in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo emocionaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to move every day.
  3. La semana pasada él emocionó dos veces. — Last week He moved 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 emocionaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will move without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo emocionaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would move right now.
  3. Hoy yo he emocionado dos veces. — Today I have moved twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú emociones pronto. — I hope You move soon.
  2. ¡emociona, por favor! — Move, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy emocionando. — Right now I am moving.

Emocionar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo emocioné por la tarde. Antes, yo emocionaba todos los días. Hoy yo he emocionado dos veces. Mañana yo emocionaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with emocionar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo emocionaba.

Right: Ayer yo emocioné.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, emocioné. The imperfect emocionaba 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 emocionas.

Right: Espero que tú emociones.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No emociona.

Right: No emociones.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo emocionar todos los días.

Right: Yo emociono todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He emocionando.

Right: He emocionado.

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

Quiz: emocionar in use

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

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of emocionar in the present indicative?

- (a) emociono
- (b) emociona
- (c) emocionamos
- (d) emocionas

2. What is the nosotros/as form of emocionar in the preterite?

- (a) emocionamos
- (b) emocionaste
- (c) emocionó
- (d) emocioné

3. What is the vosotros/as form of emocionar in the future?

- (a) emocionará
- (b) emocionaréis
- (c) emocionaré
- (d) emocionarás

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emocionar in the present perfect?

- (a) has emocionado
- (b) ha emocionado
- (c) he emocionado
- (d) han emocionado

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of emocionar in the imperfect?

- (a) emocionaba
- (b) emocionábamos
- (c) emocionaba
- (d) emocionabas

6. What is the gerund of emocionar?

- (a) emocionar
- (b) emocionado
- (c) emociono
- (d) emocionando

7. What is the past participle of emocionar?

- (a) emocioné
- (b) emocionar
- (c) emocionado
- (d) emocionando

8. Which sentence uses emocionar correctly?

- (a) *Yo emocionar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo emociono todos los días.* — I move every day.
- (c) *Yo emociona todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo emocionas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses emocionar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo emociono por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo emocionaba por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo emocionar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo emocioné por la tarde.* — Yesterday I moved in the afternoon.

10. What does emocionar mean?

- (a) to board
- (b) to board
- (c) to get emotional
- (d) to move (emotionally)

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of emocionar is emociona. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the nosotros/as form of emocionar is emocionamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the vosotros/as form of emocionar is emocionaréis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emocionar is han emocionado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of emocionar is emocionaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of emocionar is emocionando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy emocionando». 7. (c) — The past participle of emocionar is emocionado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he emocionado». 8. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of emocionar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of emocionar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — emocionar means «to move (emotionally)».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I move' in Spanish?

Say «Yo emociono 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 moved' about yesterday?

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

Is emocionar reflexive?

No — emocionar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo emociono, tú emocionas, él emociona. 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 emocionar?

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

Related pages