Expresar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Expresar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo expreso todos los días. — I express every day.
  2. Tú expresas en el trabajo. — You express at work.
  3. Él expresa con mi familia. — He expresses with my family.
  4. Nosotros expresamos por la mañana. — We express 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 expresé por la tarde. — Yesterday I expressed in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo expresaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to express every day.
  3. La semana pasada él expresó dos veces. — Last week He expressed 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 expresaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will express without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo expresaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would express right now.
  3. Hoy yo he expresado dos veces. — Today I have expressed twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú expreses pronto. — I hope You express soon.
  2. ¡expresa, por favor! — Express, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy expresando. — Right now I am expressing.

Expresar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo expresé por la tarde. Antes, yo expresaba todos los días. Hoy yo he expresado dos veces. Mañana yo expresaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with expresar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo expresaba.

Right: Ayer yo expresé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, expresé. The imperfect expresaba 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 expresas.

Right: Espero que tú expreses.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No expresa.

Right: No expreses.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo expresar todos los días.

Right: Yo expreso todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He expresando.

Right: He expresado.

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

Quiz: expresar in use

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

1. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of expresar in the present indicative?

- (a) expresa
- (b) expreso
- (c) expresan
- (d) expresas

2. What is the yo form of expresar in the preterite?

- (a) expresamos
- (b) expresó
- (c) expresaste
- (d) expresé

3. What is the tú form of expresar in the future?

- (a) expresaré
- (b) expresará
- (c) expresarás
- (d) expresaremos

4. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of expresar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of expresar in the imperfect?

- (a) expresaba
- (b) expresaba
- (c) expresaban
- (d) expresabas

6. What is the gerund of expresar?

- (a) expresado
- (b) expresar
- (c) expreso
- (d) expresando

7. What is the past participle of expresar?

- (a) expresando
- (b) expresar
- (c) expresado
- (d) expresé

8. Which sentence uses expresar correctly?

- (a) *Yo expreso todos los días.* — I express every day.
- (b) *Yo expresar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo expresa todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo expresas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses expresar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo expresé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I expressed in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo expreso por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo expresar por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo expresaba por la tarde.*

10. What does expresar mean?

- (a) to express
- (b) to explore
- (c) to express oneself
- (d) to export

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of expresar is expresan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the preterite, the yo form of expresar is expresé. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the future, the tú form of expresar is expresarás. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of expresar is ha expresado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the imperfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of expresar is expresaban. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of expresar is expresando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy expresando». 7. (c) — The past participle of expresar is expresado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he expresado». 8. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of expresar; 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 expresar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (a) — expresar means «to express».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I express' in Spanish?

Say «Yo expreso 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 expressed' about yesterday?

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

Is expresar reflexive?

No — expresar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo expreso, tú expresas, él expresa. 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 expresar?

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

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