Espantar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Espantar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo espanto todos los días. — I frighten every day.
  2. Tú espantas en el trabajo. — You frighten at work.
  3. Él espanta con mi familia. — He frightens with my family.
  4. Nosotros espantamos por la mañana. — We frighten 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 espanté por la tarde. — Yesterday I frightenned in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo espantaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to frighten every day.
  3. La semana pasada él espantó dos veces. — Last week He frightenned 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 espantaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will frighten without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo espantaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would frighten right now.
  3. Hoy yo he espantado dos veces. — Today I have frightenned twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú espantes pronto. — I hope You frighten soon.
  2. ¡espanta, por favor! — Frighten, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy espantando. — Right now I am frightenning.

Espantar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo espanté por la tarde. Antes, yo espantaba todos los días. Hoy yo he espantado dos veces. Mañana yo espantaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with espantar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo espantaba.

Right: Ayer yo espanté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, espanté. The imperfect espantaba 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 espantas.

Right: Espero que tú espantes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No espanta.

Right: No espantes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo espantar todos los días.

Right: Yo espanto todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He espantando.

Right: He espantado.

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

Quiz: espantar in use

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

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

- (a) espantamos
- (b) espanto
- (c) espanta
- (d) espantas

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

- (a) espantaste
- (b) espanté
- (c) espantasteis
- (d) espantó

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

- (a) espantarás
- (b) espantará
- (c) espantaré
- (d) espantarán

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

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

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

- (a) espantaba
- (b) espantabas
- (c) espantábamos
- (d) espantaba

6. What is the gerund of espantar?

- (a) espantar
- (b) espanto
- (c) espantando
- (d) espantado

7. What is the past participle of espantar?

- (a) espantar
- (b) espantado
- (c) espanté
- (d) espantando

8. Which sentence uses espantar correctly?

- (a) *Yo espanta todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo espantar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo espanto todos los días.* — I frighten every day.
- (d) *Yo espantas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses espantar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo espanté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I frightenned in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo espantar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo espanto por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo espantaba por la tarde.*

10. What does espantar mean?

- (a) to frighten
- (b) to get frightened
- (c) to choose
- (d) to hide oneself

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I frighten' in Spanish?

Say «Yo espanto 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 frightenned' about yesterday?

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

Is espantar reflexive?

No — espantar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo espanto, tú espantas, él espanta. 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 espantar?

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

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