Equilibrar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Equilibrar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo equilibro todos los días. — I balance every day.
  2. Tú equilibras en el trabajo. — You balance at work.
  3. Él equilibra con mi familia. — He balances with my family.
  4. Nosotros equilibramos por la mañana. — We balance 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 equilibré por la tarde. — Yesterday I balanced in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo equilibraba todos los días. — In the past, I used to balance every day.
  3. La semana pasada él equilibró dos veces. — Last week He balanced 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 equilibraré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will balance without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo equilibraría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would balance right now.
  3. Hoy yo he equilibrado dos veces. — Today I have balanced twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú equilibres pronto. — I hope You balance soon.
  2. ¡equilibra, por favor! — Balance, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy equilibrando. — Right now I am balancing.

Equilibrar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo equilibré por la tarde. Antes, yo equilibraba todos los días. Hoy yo he equilibrado dos veces. Mañana yo equilibraré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with equilibrar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo equilibraba.

Right: Ayer yo equilibré.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, equilibré. The imperfect equilibraba 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 equilibras.

Right: Espero que tú equilibres.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No equilibra.

Right: No equilibres.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo equilibrar todos los días.

Right: Yo equilibro todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He equilibrando.

Right: He equilibrado.

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

Quiz: equilibrar in use

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

1. What is the nosotros/as form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibra
- (b) equilibro
- (c) equilibramos
- (d) equilibras

2. What is the vosotros/as form of equilibrar in the preterite?

- (a) equilibré
- (b) equilibró
- (c) equilibraste
- (d) equilibrasteis

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of equilibrar in the future?

- (a) equilibrarán
- (b) equilibrarás
- (c) equilibraré
- (d) equilibrará

4. What is the yo form of equilibrar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the nosotros/as form of equilibrar in the imperfect?

- (a) equilibrábamos
- (b) equilibraba
- (c) equilibraba
- (d) equilibrabas

6. What is the gerund of equilibrar?

- (a) equilibrar
- (b) equilibrando
- (c) equilibro
- (d) equilibrado

7. What is the past participle of equilibrar?

- (a) equilibrando
- (b) equilibrado
- (c) equilibrar
- (d) equilibré

8. Which sentence uses equilibrar correctly?

- (a) *Yo equilibro todos los días.* — I balance every day.
- (b) *Yo equilibrar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo equilibra todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo equilibras todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses equilibrar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo equilibro por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo equilibré por la tarde.* — Yesterday I balanced in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo equilibraba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo equilibrar por la tarde.*

10. What does equilibrar mean?

- (a) to get excited
- (b) to balance
- (c) to envy
- (d) to err

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I balance' in Spanish?

Say «Yo equilibro 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 balanced' about yesterday?

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

Is equilibrar reflexive?

No — equilibrar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo equilibro, tú equilibras, él equilibra. 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 equilibrar?

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

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