Fundar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Fundar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo fundo todos los días. — I found every day.
  2. Tú fundas en el trabajo. — You found at work.
  3. Él funda con mi familia. — He founds with my family.
  4. Nosotros fundamos por la mañana. — We found 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 fundé por la tarde. — Yesterday I founded in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo fundaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to found every day.
  3. La semana pasada él fundó dos veces. — Last week He founded 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 fundaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will found without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo fundaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would found right now.
  3. Hoy yo he fundado dos veces. — Today I have founded twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú fundes pronto. — I hope You found soon.
  2. ¡funda, por favor! — Found, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy fundando. — Right now I am founding.

Fundar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo fundé por la tarde. Antes, yo fundaba todos los días. Hoy yo he fundado dos veces. Mañana yo fundaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with fundar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo fundaba.

Right: Ayer yo fundé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, fundé. The imperfect fundaba 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 fundas.

Right: Espero que tú fundes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No funda.

Right: No fundes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo fundar todos los días.

Right: Yo fundo todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He fundando.

Right: He fundado.

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

Quiz: fundar in use

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

1. What is the yo form of fundar in the present indicative?

- (a) fundamos
- (b) funda
- (c) fundas
- (d) fundo

2. What is the tú form of fundar in the preterite?

- (a) fundaste
- (b) fundó
- (c) fundamos
- (d) fundé

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of fundar in the future?

- (a) fundaré
- (b) fundará
- (c) fundarás
- (d) fundaremos

4. What is the nosotros/as form of fundar in the present perfect?

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

5. What is the yo form of fundar in the imperfect?

- (a) fundábamos
- (b) fundaba
- (c) fundaba
- (d) fundabas

6. What is the gerund of fundar?

- (a) fundar
- (b) fundando
- (c) fundo
- (d) fundado

7. What is the past participle of fundar?

- (a) fundé
- (b) fundado
- (c) fundar
- (d) fundando

8. Which sentence uses fundar correctly?

- (a) *Yo fundo todos los días.* — I found every day.
- (b) *Yo fundas todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo fundar todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo funda todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses fundar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo fundar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo fundé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I founded in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo fundo por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo fundaba por la tarde.*

10. What does fundar mean?

- (a) to generate
- (b) to found
- (c) to fail
- (d) to smoke

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of fundar is fundo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the tú form of fundar is fundaste. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of fundar is fundará. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the nosotros/as form of fundar is hemos fundado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the imperfect, the yo form of fundar is fundaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — The gerund of fundar is fundando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy fundando». 7. (b) — The past participle of fundar is fundado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he fundado». 8. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of fundar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of fundar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (b) — fundar means «to found».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I found' in Spanish?

Say «Yo fundo 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 founded' about yesterday?

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

Is fundar reflexive?

No — fundar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo fundo, tú fundas, él funda. 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 fundar?

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

Related pages