Entusiasmar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Entusiasmar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo entusiasmo todos los días. — I excite every day.
  2. Tú entusiasmas en el trabajo. — You excite at work.
  3. Él entusiasma con mi familia. — He excites with my family.
  4. Nosotros entusiasmamos por la mañana. — We excite 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 entusiasmé por la tarde. — Yesterday I excited in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo entusiasmaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to excite every day.
  3. La semana pasada él entusiasmó dos veces. — Last week He excited 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 entusiasmaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will excite without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo entusiasmaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would excite right now.
  3. Hoy yo he entusiasmado dos veces. — Today I have excited twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú entusiasmes pronto. — I hope You excite soon.
  2. ¡entusiasma, por favor! — Excite, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy entusiasmando. — Right now I am exciting.

Entusiasmar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo entusiasmé por la tarde. Antes, yo entusiasmaba todos los días. Hoy yo he entusiasmado dos veces. Mañana yo entusiasmaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with entusiasmar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo entusiasmaba.

Right: Ayer yo entusiasmé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, entusiasmé. The imperfect entusiasmaba 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 entusiasmas.

Right: Espero que tú entusiasmes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No entusiasma.

Right: No entusiasmes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo entusiasmar todos los días.

Right: Yo entusiasmo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He entusiasmando.

Right: He entusiasmado.

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

Quiz: entusiasmar in use

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

1. What is the yo form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmo
- (b) entusiasmamos
- (c) entusiasma
- (d) entusiasmas

2. What is the tú form of entusiasmar in the preterite?

- (a) entusiasmé
- (b) entusiasmamos
- (c) entusiasmaste
- (d) entusiasmó

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of entusiasmar in the future?

- (a) entusiasmarás
- (b) entusiasmaremos
- (c) entusiasmará
- (d) entusiasmaré

4. What is the nosotros/as form of entusiasmar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the yo form of entusiasmar in the imperfect?

- (a) entusiasmaba
- (b) entusiasmábamos
- (c) entusiasmaba
- (d) entusiasmabas

6. What is the gerund of entusiasmar?

- (a) entusiasmo
- (b) entusiasmando
- (c) entusiasmar
- (d) entusiasmado

7. What is the past participle of entusiasmar?

- (a) entusiasmé
- (b) entusiasmando
- (c) entusiasmar
- (d) entusiasmado

8. Which sentence uses entusiasmar correctly?

- (a) *Yo entusiasmas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo entusiasmar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo entusiasma todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo entusiasmo todos los días.* — I excite every day.

9. Which sentence uses entusiasmar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo entusiasmaba por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo entusiasmo por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo entusiasmar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo entusiasmé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I excited in the afternoon.

10. What does entusiasmar mean?

- (a) to interview
- (b) to train
- (c) to get excited
- (d) to excite

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the yo form of entusiasmar is entusiasmo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the preterite, the tú form of entusiasmar is entusiasmaste. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of entusiasmar is entusiasmará. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present perfect, the nosotros/as form of entusiasmar is hemos entusiasmado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the yo form of entusiasmar is entusiasmaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — The gerund of entusiasmar is entusiasmando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy entusiasmando». 7. (d) — The past participle of entusiasmar is entusiasmado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he entusiasmado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of entusiasmar; 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 entusiasmar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — entusiasmar means «to excite».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I excite' in Spanish?

Say «Yo entusiasmo 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 excited' about yesterday?

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

Is entusiasmar reflexive?

No — entusiasmar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo entusiasmo, tú entusiasmas, él entusiasma. 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 entusiasmar?

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

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