Estallar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
estallar means "to burst, to explode" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see estallar with the balloon at the party, the tyre on the road, the laughter in the classroom and the conflict between the neighbours — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "Every day, I burst the balloon at the party." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
estallar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with estallar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "Every day, I burst the balloon at the party." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo estallé el neumático en la carretera. — "Yesterday, I burst the tyre on the road." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo estallaba la risa en la clase. — "In the past, I used to burst the laughter in the classroom." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros estallaremos el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "Tomorrow, we will burst the conflict between the neighbours." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú estallarías el globo en la fiesta. — "If you could, you would burst the balloon at the party." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he estallado el neumático en la carretera. — "I have burst the tyre on the road." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él estalla la risa en la clase. — "Normally, he/she bursts the laughter in the classroom." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él estalló el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "Yesterday, he/she burst the conflict between the neighbours." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros estallábamos el globo en la fiesta. — "In the past, we used to burst the balloon at the party." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo estallaré el neumático en la carretera. — "Tomorrow, I will burst the tyre on the road." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él estalle la risa en la clase. — "I hope that he/she bursts the laughter in the classroom." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Estalla el conflicto entre los vecinos! — "Burst the conflict between the neighbours!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using estallar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the balloon at the party, the tyre on the road, the laughter in the classroom and the conflict between the neighbours.
Dialogue 1: talking about the balloon at the party
Ana: ¿Tú estallas el globo en la fiesta? — "Do you burst the balloon at the party?" Luis: Sí, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "I burst the balloon at the party." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo estallé el neumático en la carretera. — "Yesterday, I burst the tyre on the road." Ana: Mañana, nosotros estallaremos la risa en la clase. — "Tomorrow, we will burst the laughter in the classroom." Luis: Si pudiera, yo estallaría el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "If I could, I would burst the conflict between the neighbours." Ana: Antes, yo estallaba el neumático en la carretera. — "In the past, I used to burst the tyre on the road." Luis: Yo he estallado el globo en la fiesta. — "I have burst the balloon at the party." Ana: ¡Estalla la risa en la clase! — "Burst the laughter in the classroom!"
In this dialogue estallar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the laughter in the classroom
Ana: Él estalla la risa en la clase. — "he/she bursts the laughter in the classroom." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él estalla la risa en la clase todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she bursts the laughter in the classroom every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos estallan el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "they burst the conflict between the neighbours." Luis: Ayer, ellos estallaron la risa en la clase. — "Yesterday, they burst the laughter in the classroom." Ana: Espero que él estalle el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "I hope that he/she bursts the conflict between the neighbours." Luis: Mañana, él estallará la risa en la clase. — "Tomorrow, he/she will burst the laughter in the classroom." Ana: Antes, nosotros estallábamos el conflicto entre los vecinos. — "In the past, we used to burst the conflict between the neighbours." Luis: Nosotros estallamos el globo en la fiesta también. — "we burst the balloon at the party too."
This dialogue shows estallar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with estallar
The errors learners actually make with estallar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me estallo el globo en la fiesta.
- Right: Yo estallo el globo en la fiesta.
- Why: estallar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo estallar el globo en la fiesta.
- Right: Yo estallo el globo en la fiesta.
- Why: The infinitive estallar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form estallo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo estallo el neumático en la carretera.
- Right: Ayer, yo estallé el neumático en la carretera.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo estallé el neumático en la carretera. — "Yesterday, I burst the tyre on the road."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy estallado la risa en la clase.
- Right: Estoy estallando la risa en la clase.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund estallando for the progressive. The participle estallado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he estallado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros estalla el globo en la fiesta.
- Right: Nosotros estallamos el globo en la fiesta.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes estallamos, while estalla belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: estallar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on estallar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of estallar in the present tense?
- (a) estallas
- (b) estalla
- (c) estallamos
- (d) estallo
Answer: (d) estallo. The yo form is estallo.
2. What is the tú form of estallar in the present tense?
- (a) estalla
- (b) estallamos
- (c) estallas
- (d) estallo
Answer: (c) estallas. The tú form is estallas.
3. What is the él/ella form of estallar in the present tense?
- (a) estallamos
- (b) estalla
- (c) estallo
- (d) estallas
Answer: (b) estalla. The él/ella form is estalla.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el globo en la fiesta.
- (a) estallo
- (b) estallas
- (c) estalla
- (d) estallamos
Answer: (a) estallo. The sentence needs the yo form estallo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el neumático en la carretera.
- (a) estallaste
- (b) estalló
- (c) estallamos
- (d) estallé
Answer: (d) estallé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is estallé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ la risa en la clase.
- (a) estallábamos
- (b) estallabais
- (c) estallaba
- (d) estallabas
Answer: (c) estallaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is estallaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ el conflicto entre los vecinos.
- (a) estallaremos
- (b) estallaré
- (c) estallarás
- (d) estallará
Answer: (b) estallaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is estallaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el globo en la fiesta.
- (a) hemos estallado
- (b) he estallado
- (c) has estallado
- (d) ha estallado
Answer: (b) he estallado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he estallado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la risa en la clase.
- (a) estalles
- (b) estallemos
- (c) estalléis
- (d) estalle
Answer: (d) estalle. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is estalle.
10. What does estallar mean in English?
- (a) to normalise
- (b) to paralyse
- (c) to personalise
- (d) to burst, to explode
Answer: (d) to burst, to explode. estallar means "to burst, to explode" in English.
Frequently asked questions about estallar
What does estallar mean?
estallar means "to burst, to explode" in English. Use it when you talk about the balloon at the party, the tyre on the road, the laughter in the classroom and the conflict between the neighbours — for example: Cada día, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "Every day, I burst the balloon at the party."
Is there a reflexive form of estallar?
No. estallar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "Every day, I burst the balloon at the party."
What is the most common mistake with estallar?
The tense, not the form. Learners use the present tense for yesterday, or the preterite for a habit. Remember: Cada día, yo estallo el globo en la fiesta. — "Every day, I burst the balloon at the party." is a habit, while Ayer, yo estallé el globo en la fiesta is one finished action.
How can I practise estallar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.