Empatar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

empatar means “to draw, to tie (a match)” 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. Empatar means to draw or to tie a match, to finish a game with the same score on both sides. It is a sports verb used constantly in football and other games, and it is fully regular. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, 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 empatar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the empatar present tense page.

empatar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. — “I draw two-all against the rival team.”
  2. Él empata el partido en el último minuto. — “He draws the match in the last minute.”
  3. Nosotros empatamos a cero en un partido aburrido. — “We draw goalless in a boring match.”
  4. Ellos empatan con el campeón en su campo. — “They draw with the champions at their ground.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo empaté el partido en el último minuto. — “Yesterday, I drew the match in the last minute.”
  2. Antes, nosotros empatábamos a cero en un partido aburrido. — “Before, we used to draw goalless in a boring match.”
  3. Él empató con el campeón en su campo. — “He drew with the champions at their ground.”
  4. Yo ya había empatado a dos goles con el equipo rival antes de salir. — “I had already drawn two-all against the rival team before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú empatarás a dos goles con el equipo rival. — “Tomorrow, you will draw two-all against the rival team.”
  2. Yo empataría el partido en el último minuto si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would draw the match in the last minute if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha empatado a cero en un partido aburrido. — “He has drawn goalless in a boring match.”
  4. Espero que él empate con el campeón en su campo. — “I hope he draws with the champions at their ground.”

empatar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use empatar 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 their day.

  • Ana: Yo empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. — “I draw two-all against the rival team.”
  • Bea: Él empata el partido en el último minuto. — “He draws the match in the last minute.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo empaté el partido en el último minuto. — “Yesterday, I drew the match in the last minute.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú empatarás a dos goles con el equipo rival. — “Tomorrow, you will draw two-all against the rival team.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros empatamos a cero en un partido aburrido. — “We draw goalless in a boring match.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros empatábamos a cero en un partido aburrido. — “Before, we used to draw goalless in a boring match.”
  • Luis: Yo empataría el partido en el último minuto si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would draw the match in the last minute if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él empate con el campeón en su campo. — “I hope he draws with the champions at their ground.”

A short scene with empatar

A short scene shows how empatar works across the day. In the morning: Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. In the afternoon: Empata el partido en el último minuto. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, empaté a cero en un partido aburrido. And tomorrow: Mañana, empataré con el campeón en su campo. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how empatar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with empatar

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

✗ Yo empata a dos goles con el equipo rival.

✓ Correct: Yo empato a dos goles con el equipo rival.

The person matters: empata is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is empato. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo empato el partido en el último minuto.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo empaté el partido en el último minuto.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: empato is happening now, while empaté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating empatar and ganar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Empatar means to draw, to tie (a match), while ganar means to win.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: empatar fits sentences such as Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival, while ganar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy empatado el partido en el último minuto.

✓ Correct: Yo he empatado el partido en el último minuto.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he empatado, has empatado, ha empatado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo empaté a cero en un partido aburrido todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo empataba a cero en un partido aburrido todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (empataba), not the preterite. The preterite (empaté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: empatar in use

Ten questions on empatar — 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: Él ______ el partido en el último minuto. — “He/she draws the match in the last minute.”

  • a) empata
  • b) empato
  • c) empatas
  • d) empatamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ a cero en un partido aburrido. — “Yesterday, I drew goalless in a boring match.”

  • a) empataste
  • b) empató
  • c) empataron
  • d) empaté

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ con el campeón en su campo cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to draw with the champions at their ground when they were young.”

  • a) empatabas
  • b) empatábamos
  • c) empataban
  • d) empataba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ a dos goles con el equipo rival. — “Tomorrow, we will draw two-all against the rival team.”

  • a) empatarán
  • b) empataremos
  • c) empataré
  • d) empatarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el partido en el último minuto si pudiera. — “He would draw the match in the last minute if he could.”

  • a) empataría
  • b) empatarías
  • c) empataríamos
  • d) empato

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a cero en un partido aburrido. — “I have drawn goalless in a boring match.”

  • a) has empatado
  • b) ha empatado
  • c) han empatado
  • d) he empatado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ con el campeón en su campo. — “I hope you draw with the champions at their ground.”

  • a) empatemos
  • b) empato
  • c) empates
  • d) empate

8. Which is the past participle of empatar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) empaté
  • b) empatado
  • c) empatando
  • d) empato

9. What does empatar mean in English?

  • a) to draw, to tie (a match)
  • b) to win
  • c) to referee
  • d) to get injured

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él empata el partido en el último minuto.
  • b) Él empato el partido en el último minuto.
  • c) Nosotros empata a cero en un partido aburrido.
  • d) Yo empata a dos goles con el equipo rival.

Answer key

  1. a) empata — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: empata.

  2. d) empaté — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: empaté, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) empataban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: empataban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) empataremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: empataremos.

  5. a) empataría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: empataría.

  6. d) he empatado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he empatado, haber + empatado.

  7. c) empates — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is empates.

  8. b) empatado — The past participle is empatado: he empatado, has empatado, ha empatado. The gerund empatando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to draw, to tie (a match) — empatar means to draw, to tie (a match). The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él empata el partido en el último minuto. — Él empata el partido en el último minuto. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use empatar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival and Empata el partido en el último minuto. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between empatar and ganar?

Empatar means “to draw, to tie (a match)”, while ganar means “to win”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use empatar when you mean “to draw, to tie (a match)” and ganar when you mean “to win”.

Which tense do I need most with empatar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use empatar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is empatar formal or informal?

Empatar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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