Introduction
Ingresar means “to enter, to be admitted”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Ingresar means to enter or to be admitted, and it is used for hospitals, universities, the army and clubs, and also for money entering an account: ingresar dinero en el banco. In Latin America it is also the everyday verb for entering a place, where Spain prefers entrar. This page shows ingresar 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: “Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” — I enter hospital on Monday.
Ingresar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how ingresar 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 ingresar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” — I enter hospital on Monday.
“¿Ingresas dinero en el banco?” — Do you enter money in the bank?
“Ingresa en la universidad este año.” — He/she enters university this year.
“Nosotros ingresamos por la puerta principal.” — We enter through the main door.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show ingresar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo ingresé en el hospital el lunes.” — Yesterday, I entered hospital on Monday. (preterite)
“Antes, él ingresaba dinero en el banco.” — Before, he used to enter money in the bank. (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 ingresar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros ingresaremos en la universidad este año.” — Tomorrow, we will enter university this year. (future)
“¿Tú has ingresado por la puerta principal?” — Have you entered through the main door? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros ingresáis en el hospital el lunes.” — You enter hospital on Monday.
“Ellos ingresan dinero en el banco.” — They enter money in the bank.
“Yo ingreso en la universidad este año.” — I enter university this year.
“Mi padre ingresa por la puerta principal.” — My father enters through the main door.
Ingresar 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 ingresar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú ingresas dinero en el banco?” — Do you enter money in the bank?
Pedro: “Sí, yo ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” — Yes, I enter hospital on Monday.
Marta: “Nosotros ingresamos por la puerta principal.” — We enter through the main door.
Pedro: “Y ellos ingresan dinero en el banco.” — And they enter money in the bank.
Marta: “Vosotros ingresáis en la universidad este año.” — You enter university this year.
Pedro: “Sí, y él ingresa en el hospital el lunes.” — Yes, and he enters hospital on Monday.
A short paragraph
Ingresa en el hospital el lunes, y nosotros ingresamos por la puerta principal. Yo ingreso dinero en el banco, y ellos ingresan en la universidad este año. Ingresar is part of everyday life, because enter, to be admitted is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with ingresar
These are the errors learners actually make with ingresar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo ingresa en el hospital el lunes.” Right: “Yo ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” Why: The person matters: ingresa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ingreso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo ingreso dinero en el banco.” Right: “Ayer yo ingresé dinero en el banco.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: ingreso is happening now, while ingresé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating ingresar and entrar as identical in every context.” Right: “Ingresar means to enter, to be admitted, while entrar means to enter, the everyday synonym.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ingresar fits sentences such as Ingreso en el hospital el lunes, while entrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy ingresado dinero en el banco.” Right: “Yo he ingresado dinero en el banco.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ingresado, has ingresado, ha ingresado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo ingresé en la universidad este año todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo ingresaba en la universidad este año todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ingresaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ingresé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: ingresar in use
Ten questions on ingresar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ en el hospital el lunes.” (You enter hospital on Monday.)
- (a) ingresáis
- (b) ingreso
- (c) ingresas
Answer: ingresáis — The vosotros/as form of ingresar in the present tense is ingresáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ dinero en el banco.” (They enter money in the bank.)
- (a) ingresas
- (b) ingresan
- (c) ingreso
Answer: ingresan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of ingresar in the present tense is ingresan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ en el hospital el lunes.” (Yesterday I entered hospital on Monday.)
- (a) ingresaste
- (b) ingresó
- (c) ingresé
Answer: ingresé — In the preterite, the yo form of ingresar is ingresé.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ dinero en el banco.” (Before, he used to enter money in the bank.)
- (a) ingresaba
- (b) ingreso
- (c) ingresabas
Answer: ingresaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of ingresar is ingresaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ en la universidad este año.” (Tomorrow we will enter university this year.)
- (a) ingresarás
- (b) ingresaremos
- (c) ingresaré
Answer: ingresaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of ingresar is ingresaremos.
6. What does ingresar mean in English?
- (a) to enter, to be admitted
- (b) to begin, to start
- (c) to enter, the everyday synonym
Answer: to enter, to be admitted — Ingresar means “to enter, to be admitted”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo ingresa en el hospital el lunes.
- (b) Ellos ingresa dinero en el banco.
- (c) Yo ingreso en el hospital el lunes.
Answer: Yo ingreso en el hospital el lunes. — “Yo ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I enter hospital on Monday.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre ingresa por la puerta principal.
- (b) Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.
- (c) Ingresan en el hospital el lunes.
Answer: Ingreso en el hospital el lunes. — “Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of ingresar in the present tense?
- (a) ingreso
- (b) ingresas
- (c) ingresamos
Answer: ingresamos — The nosotros form is ingresamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros ingresaremos en la universidad este año.
- (b) Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.
- (c) Ayer, yo ingresé en el hospital el lunes.
Answer: Ingreso en el hospital el lunes. — “Ingreso en el hospital el lunes.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I enter hospital on Monday' in Spanish?
Say 'Ingreso en el hospital el lunes'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Ingreso en el hospital el lunes todos los días'.
How do you say 'He enters money in the bank' in Spanish?
Say 'Él ingresa dinero en el banco'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes ingresa.
What is the difference between ingresar and entrar?
Ingresar means to enter, to be admitted, while entrar means to enter, the everyday synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ingresar when you mean to enter, to be admitted, as in 'Ingreso en el hospital el lunes', and use entrar for to enter, the everyday synonym.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of ingresar — every tense of ingresar in one place.
- Ingresar 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 ingresar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of ingresar until they are automatic.