Fomentar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
fomentar means "to promote, to foster" 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 fomentar with reading among children, sport at school, tourism in the region and creativity at work — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo fomento la lectura en los niños. — "Every day, I promote reading among children." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
fomentar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with fomentar, 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 fomento la lectura en los niños. — "Every day, I promote reading among children." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo fomenté el deporte en la escuela. — "Yesterday, I promoted sport at school." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo fomentaba el turismo en la región. — "In the past, I used to promote tourism in the region." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros fomentaremos la creatividad en el trabajo. — "Tomorrow, we will promote creativity at work." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú fomentarías la lectura en los niños. — "If you could, you would promote reading among children." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he fomentado el deporte en la escuela. — "I have promoted sport at school." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él fomenta el turismo en la región. — "Normally, he/she promotes tourism in the region." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él fomentó la creatividad en el trabajo. — "Yesterday, he/she promoted creativity at work." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros fomentábamos la lectura en los niños. — "In the past, we used to promote reading among children." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo fomentaré el deporte en la escuela. — "Tomorrow, I will promote sport at school." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él fomente el turismo en la región. — "I hope that he/she promotes tourism in the region." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Fomenta la creatividad en el trabajo! — "Promote creativity at work!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using fomentar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: reading among children, sport at school, tourism in the region and creativity at work.
Dialogue 1: talking about reading among children
Sofía: ¿Tú fomentas la lectura en los niños? — "Do you promote reading among children?" Diego: Sí, yo fomento la lectura en los niños. — "I promote reading among children." Sofía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Diego: Ayer, yo fomenté el deporte en la escuela. — "Yesterday, I promoted sport at school." Sofía: Mañana, nosotros fomentaremos el turismo en la región. — "Tomorrow, we will promote tourism in the region." Diego: Si pudiera, yo fomentaría la creatividad en el trabajo. — "If I could, I would promote creativity at work." Sofía: Antes, yo fomentaba el deporte en la escuela. — "In the past, I used to promote sport at school." Diego: Yo he fomentado la lectura en los niños. — "I have promoted reading among children." Sofía: ¡Fomenta el turismo en la región! — "Promote tourism in the region!"
In this dialogue fomentar 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 tourism in the region
Sofía: Él fomenta el turismo en la región. — "he/she promotes tourism in the region." Diego: ¿De verdad? ¿Él fomenta el turismo en la región todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she promotes tourism in the region every day?" Sofía: Sí, y ellos fomentan la creatividad en el trabajo. — "they promote creativity at work." Diego: Ayer, ellos fomentaron el turismo en la región. — "Yesterday, they promoted tourism in the region." Sofía: Espero que él fomente la creatividad en el trabajo. — "I hope that he/she promotes creativity at work." Diego: Mañana, él fomentará el turismo en la región. — "Tomorrow, he/she will promote tourism in the region." Sofía: Antes, nosotros fomentábamos la creatividad en el trabajo. — "In the past, we used to promote creativity at work." Diego: Nosotros fomentamos la lectura en los niños también. — "we promote reading among children too."
This dialogue shows fomentar 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 fomentar
The errors learners actually make with fomentar 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 fomento la lectura en los niños.
- Right: Yo fomento la lectura en los niños.
- Why: fomentar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo fomento la lectura en los niños. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo fomentar la lectura en los niños.
- Right: Yo fomento la lectura en los niños.
- Why: The infinitive fomentar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form fomento.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo fomento el deporte en la escuela.
- Right: Ayer, yo fomenté el deporte en la escuela.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo fomenté el deporte en la escuela. — "Yesterday, I promoted sport at school."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy fomentado el turismo en la región.
- Right: Estoy fomentando el turismo en la región.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund fomentando for the progressive. The participle fomentado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he fomentado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros fomenta la lectura en los niños.
- Right: Nosotros fomentamos la lectura en los niños.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes fomentamos, while fomenta belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: fomentar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on fomentar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of fomentar in the present tense?
- (a) fomento
- (b) fomentas
- (c) fomenta
- (d) fomentamos
Answer: (a) fomento. The yo form is fomento.
2. What is the tú form of fomentar in the present tense?
- (a) fomento
- (b) fomenta
- (c) fomentamos
- (d) fomentas
Answer: (d) fomentas. The tú form is fomentas.
3. What is the él/ella form of fomentar in the present tense?
- (a) fomentas
- (b) fomentamos
- (c) fomenta
- (d) fomento
Answer: (c) fomenta. The él/ella form is fomenta.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la lectura en los niños.
- (a) fomentamos
- (b) fomento
- (c) fomentas
- (d) fomenta
Answer: (b) fomento. The sentence needs the yo form fomento.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el deporte en la escuela.
- (a) fomenté
- (b) fomentaste
- (c) fomentó
- (d) fomentamos
Answer: (a) fomenté. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is fomenté.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el turismo en la región.
- (a) fomentabas
- (b) fomentábamos
- (c) fomentabais
- (d) fomentaba
Answer: (d) fomentaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is fomentaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ la creatividad en el trabajo.
- (a) fomentará
- (b) fomentaremos
- (c) fomentaré
- (d) fomentarás
Answer: (c) fomentaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is fomentaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la lectura en los niños.
- (a) ha fomentado
- (b) hemos fomentado
- (c) he fomentado
- (d) has fomentado
Answer: (c) he fomentado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he fomentado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el turismo en la región.
- (a) fomente
- (b) fomentes
- (c) fomentemos
- (d) fomentéis
Answer: (a) fomente. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is fomente.
10. What does fomentar mean in English?
- (a) to promote, to foster
- (b) to nourish oneself
- (c) to give birth
- (d) to infuriate
Answer: (a) to promote, to foster. fomentar means "to promote, to foster" in English.
Frequently asked questions about fomentar
What does fomentar mean?
fomentar means "to promote, to foster" in English. Use it when you talk about reading among children, sport at school, tourism in the region and creativity at work — for example: Cada día, yo fomento la lectura en los niños. — "Every day, I promote reading among children."
Is there a reflexive form of fomentar?
No. fomentar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo fomento la lectura en los niños. — "Every day, I promote reading among children."
What is the most common mistake with fomentar?
The tense, not the form. Learners use the present tense for yesterday, or the preterite for a habit. Remember: Cada día, yo fomento la lectura en los niños. — "Every day, I promote reading among children." is a habit, while Ayer, yo fomenté la lectura en los niños is one finished action.
How can I practise fomentar?
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.