Firmar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Firmar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo firmo todos los días. — I sign every day.
  2. Tú firmas en el trabajo. — You sign at work.
  3. Él firma con mi familia. — He signs with my family.
  4. Nosotros firmamos por la mañana. — We sign 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 firmé por la tarde. — Yesterday I signed in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo firmaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to sign every day.
  3. La semana pasada él firmó dos veces. — Last week He signed 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 firmaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will sign without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo firmaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would sign right now.
  3. Hoy yo he firmado dos veces. — Today I have signed twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú firmes pronto. — I hope You sign soon.
  2. ¡firma, por favor! — Sign, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy firmando. — Right now I am signing.

Firmar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo firmé por la tarde. Antes, yo firmaba todos los días. Hoy yo he firmado dos veces. Mañana yo firmaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with firmar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo firmaba.

Right: Ayer yo firmé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, firmé. The imperfect firmaba 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 firmas.

Right: Espero que tú firmes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No firma.

Right: No firmes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo firmar todos los días.

Right: Yo firmo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He firmando.

Right: He firmado.

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

Quiz: firmar in use

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

1. What is the tú form of firmar in the present indicative?

- (a) firmas
- (b) firma
- (c) firmo
- (d) firmamos

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of firmar in the preterite?

- (a) firmó
- (b) firmé
- (c) firmaste
- (d) firmamos

3. What is the nosotros/as form of firmar in the future?

- (a) firmaré
- (b) firmaremos
- (c) firmará
- (d) firmarás

4. What is the vosotros/as form of firmar in the present perfect?

- (a) habéis firmado
- (b) has firmado
- (c) ha firmado
- (d) he firmado

5. What is the tú form of firmar in the imperfect?

- (a) firmabas
- (b) firmábamos
- (c) firmaba
- (d) firmaba

6. What is the gerund of firmar?

- (a) firmo
- (b) firmado
- (c) firmar
- (d) firmando

7. What is the past participle of firmar?

- (a) firmado
- (b) firmar
- (c) firmando
- (d) firmé

8. Which sentence uses firmar correctly?

- (a) *Yo firma todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo firmar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo firmo todos los días.* — I sign every day.
- (d) *Yo firmas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses firmar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo firmaba por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo firmar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo firmo por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo firmé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I signed in the afternoon.

10. What does firmar mean?

- (a) to fix
- (b) to form
- (c) to trust
- (d) to sign

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of firmar is firmas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the él/ella/Ud. form of firmar is firmó. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the nosotros/as form of firmar is firmaremos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present perfect, the vosotros/as form of firmar is habéis firmado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the tú form of firmar is firmabas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of firmar is firmando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy firmando». 7. (a) — The past participle of firmar is firmado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he firmado». 8. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of firmar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of firmar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — firmar means «to sign».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I sign' in Spanish?

Say «Yo firmo 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 signed' about yesterday?

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

Is firmar reflexive?

No — firmar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo firmo, tú firmas, él firma. 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 firmar?

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

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