Emplear Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Emplear in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo empleo todos los días. — I employ every day.
  2. Tú empleas en el trabajo. — You employ at work.
  3. Él emplea con mi familia. — He employs with my family.
  4. Nosotros empleamos por la mañana. — We employ 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 empleé por la tarde. — Yesterday I employed in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo empleaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to employ every day.
  3. La semana pasada él empleó dos veces. — Last week He employed 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 emplearé sin falta. — Tomorrow I will employ without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo emplearía ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would employ right now.
  3. Hoy yo he empleado dos veces. — Today I have employed twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú emplees pronto. — I hope You employ soon.
  2. ¡emplea, por favor! — Employ, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy empleando. — Right now I am employing.

Emplear in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo empleé por la tarde. Antes, yo empleaba todos los días. Hoy yo he empleado dos veces. Mañana yo emplearé sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with emplear

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo empleaba.

Right: Ayer yo empleé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, empleé. The imperfect empleaba 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 empleas.

Right: Espero que tú emplees.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No emplea.

Right: No emplees.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo emplear todos los días.

Right: Yo empleo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He empleando.

Right: He empleado.

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

Quiz: emplear in use

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

1. What is the vosotros/as form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleo
- (b) emplea
- (c) empleas
- (d) empleáis

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emplear in the preterite?

- (a) empleaste
- (b) emplearon
- (c) empleó
- (d) empleé

3. What is the yo form of emplear in the future?

- (a) emplearemos
- (b) emplearás
- (c) empleará
- (d) emplearé

4. What is the tú form of emplear in the present perfect?

- (a) has empleado
- (b) ha empleado
- (c) he empleado
- (d) hemos empleado

5. What is the vosotros/as form of emplear in the imperfect?

- (a) empleaba
- (b) empleabas
- (c) empleaba
- (d) empleabais

6. What is the gerund of emplear?

- (a) emplear
- (b) empleado
- (c) empleando
- (d) empleo

7. What is the past participle of emplear?

- (a) empleé
- (b) emplear
- (c) empleado
- (d) empleando

8. Which sentence uses emplear correctly?

- (a) *Yo empleas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo emplear todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo emplea todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo empleo todos los días.* — I employ every day.

9. Which sentence uses emplear correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo empleo por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo empleé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I employed in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo empleaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo emplear por la tarde.*

10. What does emplear mean?

- (a) to move (emotionally)
- (b) to employ, to use
- (c) to get emotional
- (d) to undertake

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of emplear is empleáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the preterite, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emplear is emplearon. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (d) — In the future, the yo form of emplear is emplearé. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present perfect, the tú form of emplear is has empleado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the imperfect, the vosotros/as form of emplear is empleabais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of emplear is empleando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy empleando». 7. (c) — The past participle of emplear is empleado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he empleado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of emplear; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of emplear; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (b) — emplear means «to employ, to use».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I employ' in Spanish?

Say «Yo empleo 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 employed' about yesterday?

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

Is emplear reflexive?

No — emplear is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo empleo, tú empleas, él emplea. 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 emplear?

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

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