Enfermar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Enfermar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo enfermo todos los días. — I fall ill every day.
  2. Tú enfermas en el trabajo. — You fall ill at work.
  3. Él enferma con mi familia. — He falls ill with my family.
  4. Nosotros enfermamos por la mañana. — We fall ill 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 enfermé por la tarde. — Yesterday I fell ill in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo enfermaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to fall ill every day.
  3. La semana pasada él enfermó dos veces. — Last week He fell ill 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 enfermaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will fall ill without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo enfermaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would fall ill right now.
  3. Hoy yo he enfermado dos veces. — Today I have fell ill twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú enfermes pronto. — I hope You fall ill soon.
  2. ¡enferma, por favor! — Fall ill, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy enfermando. — Right now I am falling ill.

Enfermar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo enfermé por la tarde. Antes, yo enfermaba todos los días. Hoy yo he enfermado dos veces. Mañana yo enfermaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with enfermar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo enfermaba.

Right: Ayer yo enfermé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, enfermé. The imperfect enfermaba 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 enfermas.

Right: Espero que tú enfermes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No enferma.

Right: No enfermes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo enfermar todos los días.

Right: Yo enfermo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He enfermando.

Right: He enfermado.

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

Quiz: enfermar in use

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

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

- (a) enferma
- (b) enfermamos
- (c) enfermas
- (d) enfermo

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

- (a) enfermamos
- (b) enfermé
- (c) enfermó
- (d) enfermaste

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

- (a) enfermará
- (b) enfermaréis
- (c) enfermarás
- (d) enfermaré

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

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

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

- (a) enfermabas
- (b) enfermábamos
- (c) enfermaba
- (d) enfermaba

6. What is the gerund of enfermar?

- (a) enfermado
- (b) enfermando
- (c) enfermo
- (d) enfermar

7. What is the past participle of enfermar?

- (a) enfermando
- (b) enfermar
- (c) enfermé
- (d) enfermado

8. Which sentence uses enfermar correctly?

- (a) *Yo enfermo todos los días.* — I fall ill every day.
- (b) *Yo enferma todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo enfermar todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo enfermas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses enfermar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo enfermé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I fell ill in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo enfermaba por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo enfermar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo enfermo por la tarde.*

10. What does enfermar mean?

- (a) to fall ill
- (b) to take charge of
- (c) to focus
- (d) to win someone's love

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I fall ill' in Spanish?

Say «Yo enfermo 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 fell ill' about yesterday?

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

Is enfermar reflexive?

No — enfermar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo enfermo, tú enfermas, él enferma. 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 enfermar?

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

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