Funcionar Examples, Sentences and Quiz
Funcionar means “to work, to function”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Funcionar means to work or to function, and it is used for machines, phones, computers and plans that work — or do not work. Its subject is usually a thing, not a person, as in el televisor funciona, and it is fully regular. This page shows funcionar 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 funciono bien desde la reparación.” — I work well since the repair.
Funcionar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how funcionar 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 funcionar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Funciono bien desde la reparación.” — I work well since the repair.
“¿Tú funcionas sin problemas por la mañana?” — Do you work without problems in the morning?
“Funciona a la primera siempre.” — He/she works first time, always.
“Funcionamos con el interruptor nuevo.” — We work with the new switch.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show funcionar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo funcioné bien desde la reparación.” — Yesterday, I worked well since the repair. (preterite)
“Él funcionaba sin problemas por la mañana todos los días.” — He used to work without problems in the morning 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 funcionar stays the same.
“Nosotros funcionaremos a la primera siempre mañana.” — We will work first time, always tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has funcionado con el interruptor nuevo?” — Have you worked with the new switch? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Funcionáis bien desde la reparación.” — You work well since the repair.
“Funcionan sin problemas por la mañana.” — They work without problems in the morning.
“Funciono a la primera siempre.” — I work first time, always.
“Funciona con el interruptor nuevo.” — He/she works with the new switch.
Funcionar 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 funcionar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Lucía: “¿Tú funcionas bien desde la reparación?” — Do you work well since the repair?
Carlos: “Sí, yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” — Yes, I work well since the repair.
Lucía: “Nosotros funcionamos sin problemas por la mañana.” — We work without problems in the morning.
Carlos: “Y ellos funcionan a la primera siempre.” — And they work first time, always.
Lucía: “Vosotros funcionáis con el interruptor nuevo.” — You work with the new switch.
Carlos: “Sí, y él funciona sin problemas por la mañana.” — Yes, and he works without problems in the morning.
A short paragraph
Lucía funciona bien desde la reparación, y Carlos funciona sin problemas por la mañana. Nosotros funcionamos a la primera siempre, y ellos funcionan con el interruptor nuevo. Yo funciono a la primera siempre, y mi padre funciona con el interruptor nuevo. Funcionar is part of everyday life, because to work, to function is something Spanish speakers do again and again, in every tense and every situation.
Common mistakes with funcionar
These are the errors learners actually make with funcionar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo funciona bien desde la reparación.” Right: “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” Why: The person matters: funciona is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is funciono. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo funciono sin problemas por la mañana.” Right: “Ayer yo funcioné sin problemas por la mañana.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: funciono is happening now, while funcioné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating funcionar and marchar as identical in every context.” Right: “Funcionar means to work, to function, while marchar means to work, to go.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: funcionar fits sentences such as Funciono bien desde la reparación, while marchar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy funcionado sin problemas por la mañana.” Right: “Yo he funcionado sin problemas por la mañana.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he funcionado, has funcionado, ha funcionado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo funcioné a la primera siempre todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo funcionaba a la primera siempre todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (funcionaba), not the preterite. The preterite (funcioné) is for one finished action.
Quiz: funcionar in use
Ten questions on funcionar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ bien desde la reparación.” (Well since the repair.)
- (a) funcionáis
- (b) funciono
- (c) funcionas
Answer: funcionáis — The vosotros/as form of funcionar in the present is funcionáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ sin problemas por la mañana.” (Without problems in the morning.)
- (a) funciono
- (b) funcionas
- (c) funcionan
Answer: funcionan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of funcionar in the present is funcionan.
3. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ bien desde la reparación.” (Well since the repair.)
- (a) funcionó
- (b) funcioné
- (c) funcionaste
Answer: funcioné — The yo form of funcionar in the preterite is funcioné.
4. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ sin problemas por la mañana.” (Without problems in the morning.)
- (a) funcionaba
- (b) funcionabas
- (c) funcionábamos
Answer: funcionaba — The él/ella/Ud. form of funcionar in the imperfect is funcionaba.
5. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ a la primera siempre.” (First time, always.)
- (a) funcionaré
- (b) funcionarás
- (c) funcionaremos
Answer: funcionaremos — The nosotros/as form of funcionar in the future is funcionaremos.
6. What does funcionar mean in English?
- (a) to work, to go, to march
- (b) to work, to function
- (c) to work, to go
Answer: to work, to function — Funcionar means “to work, to function”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.
- (b) Ellos funciona bien desde la reparación.
- (c) Yo funciono sin problemas por la mañana ayer.
Answer: Yo funciono bien desde la reparación. — “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I work well since the repair.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo funcionan bien desde la reparación.
- (b) Yo funcioné bien desde la reparación.
- (c) Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.
Answer: Yo funciono bien desde la reparación. — “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” 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 funcionar in the present tense?
- (a) funcionas
- (b) funcionamos
- (c) funciono
Answer: funcionamos — The nosotros form is funcionamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer, yo funcioné bien desde la reparación.
- (b) Nosotros funcionaremos bien desde la reparación mañana.
- (c) Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.
Answer: Yo funciono bien desde la reparación. — “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I work' in Spanish?
Say 'Yo funciono bien desde la reparación'. The complement follows directly, as in the examples above. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Yo funciono bien desde la reparación todos los días'.
How do you say 'I work' in the past?
For one finished action, say 'Ayer, yo funcioné sin problemas por la mañana'. For a repeated habit, say 'Yo funcionaba sin problemas por la mañana todos los días'. For something already done, say 'Yo he funcionado sin problemas por la mañana'.
What is the difference between funcionar and marchar?
Funcionar means to work, to function, while marchar means to work, to go. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use funcionar when you mean to work, to function, as in Funciono bien desde la reparación.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of funcionar — every tense of funcionar in one place.
- Funcionar 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 funcionar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of funcionar until they are automatic.