Exprimir Examples, Sentences and Quiz
Exprimir means “to squeeze”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Exprimir means to squeeze, and it is used for squeezing oranges, lemons and limes to get the juice. It is fully regular, and it appears in kitchen and breakfast contexts, usually with una naranja or un limón. This page shows exprimir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice.
Exprimir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how exprimir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use exprimir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice.
“¿Tú exprimes un limón en el pescado?” — Do you squeeze a lemon on the fish?
“Exprime las naranjas del desayuno.” — He/she squeezes the oranges for breakfast.
“Exprimimos dos limones para la limonada.” — We squeeze two lemons for the lemonade.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show exprimir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo exprimí una naranja para el zumo.” — Yesterday, I squeezed an orange for the juice. (preterite)
“Él exprimía un limón en el pescado todos los días.” — He used to squeeze a lemon on the fish every day. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of exprimir stays the same.
“Nosotros exprimiremos las naranjas del desayuno mañana.” — We will squeeze the oranges for breakfast tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has exprimido dos limones para la limonada?” — Have you squeezed two lemons for the lemonade? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Exprimís una naranja para el zumo.” — You squeeze an orange for the juice.
“Exprimen un limón en el pescado.” — They squeeze a lemon on the fish.
“Exprimo las naranjas del desayuno.” — I squeeze the oranges for breakfast.
“Exprime dos limones para la limonada.” — He/she squeezes two lemons for the lemonade.
Exprimir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how exprimir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Lucía: “¿Tú exprimes una naranja para el zumo?” — Do you squeeze an orange for the juice?
Carlos: “Sí, yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” — Yes, I squeeze an orange for the juice.
Lucía: “Nosotros exprimimos un limón en el pescado.” — We squeeze a lemon on the fish.
Carlos: “Y ellos exprimen las naranjas del desayuno.” — And they squeeze the oranges for breakfast.
Lucía: “Vosotros exprimís dos limones para la limonada.” — You squeeze two lemons for the lemonade.
Carlos: “Sí, y él exprime un limón en el pescado.” — Yes, and he squeezes a lemon on the fish.
A short paragraph
Lucía exprime una naranja para el zumo, y Carlos exprime un limón en el pescado. Nosotros exprimimos las naranjas del desayuno, y ellos exprimen dos limones para la limonada. Yo exprimo las naranjas del desayuno, y mi padre exprime dos limones para la limonada. Exprimir is part of everyday life, because to squeeze is something Spanish speakers do again and again, in every tense and every situation.
Common mistakes with exprimir
These are the errors learners actually make with exprimir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo exprime una naranja para el zumo.” Right: “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” Why: The person matters: exprime is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is exprimo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo exprimo un limón en el pescado.” Right: “Ayer yo exprimí un limón en el pescado.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: exprimo is happening now, while exprimí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating exprimir and apretar as identical in every context.” Right: “Exprimir means to squeeze, while apretar means to squeeze, to press.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: exprimir fits sentences such as Exprimo una naranja para el zumo, while apretar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy exprimido un limón en el pescado.” Right: “Yo he exprimido un limón en el pescado.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he exprimido, has exprimido, ha exprimido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo exprimí las naranjas del desayuno todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo exprimía las naranjas del desayuno todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (exprimía), not the preterite. The preterite (exprimí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: exprimir in use
Ten questions on exprimir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ una naranja para el zumo.” (An orange for the juice.)
- (a) exprimís
- (b) exprimo
- (c) exprimes
Answer: exprimís — The vosotros/as form of exprimir in the present is exprimís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un limón en el pescado.” (A lemon on the fish.)
- (a) exprimo
- (b) exprimes
- (c) exprimen
Answer: exprimen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exprimir in the present is exprimen.
3. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ una naranja para el zumo.” (An orange for the juice.)
- (a) exprimió
- (b) exprimí
- (c) exprimiste
Answer: exprimí — The yo form of exprimir in the preterite is exprimí.
4. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ un limón en el pescado.” (A lemon on the fish.)
- (a) exprimía
- (b) exprimías
- (c) exprimíamos
Answer: exprimía — The él/ella/Ud. form of exprimir in the imperfect is exprimía.
5. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ las naranjas del desayuno.” (The oranges for breakfast.)
- (a) exprimiré
- (b) exprimirás
- (c) exprimiremos
Answer: exprimiremos — The nosotros/as form of exprimir in the future is exprimiremos.
6. What does exprimir mean in English?
- (a) to beat, to whisk
- (b) to squeeze
- (c) to squeeze, to press
Answer: to squeeze — Exprimir means “to squeeze”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.
- (b) Ellos exprime una naranja para el zumo.
- (c) Yo exprimo un limón en el pescado ayer.
Answer: Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo. — “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I squeeze an orange for the juice.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo exprimen una naranja para el zumo.
- (b) Yo exprimí una naranja para el zumo.
- (c) Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.
Answer: Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo. — “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” is the correct translation. The second option uses the wrong person's form, and the third uses the preterite.
9. What is the nosotros form of exprimir in the present tense?
- (a) exprimes
- (b) exprimimos
- (c) exprimo
Answer: exprimimos — The nosotros form is exprimimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer, yo exprimí una naranja para el zumo.
- (b) Nosotros exprimiremos una naranja para el zumo mañana.
- (c) Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.
Answer: Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo. — “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I squeeze' in Spanish?
Say 'Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo'. The complement follows directly, as in the examples above. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días'.
How do you say 'I squeeze' in the past?
For one finished action, say 'Ayer, yo exprimí un limón en el pescado'. For a repeated habit, say 'Yo exprimía un limón en el pescado todos los días'. For something already done, say 'Yo he exprimido un limón en el pescado'.
What is the difference between exprimir and apretar?
Exprimir means to squeeze, while apretar means to squeeze, to press. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use exprimir when you mean to squeeze, as in Exprimo una naranja para el zumo.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of exprimir — every tense of exprimir in one place.
- Exprimir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on exprimir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of exprimir until they are automatic.