Introduction
Instruir means “to instruct”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Instruir means to instruct or to train, and it is used for teaching a skill, giving instructions and training soldiers or workers: instruir a los alumnos, instruir a los soldados. It is a -uir verb: yo instruyo, él instruye, with y before the vowel endings. This page shows instruir 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: “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instruct the students in the workshop.
Instruir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how instruir 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 instruir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instruct the students in the workshop.
“¿Instruyes a los soldados en el cuartel?” — Do you instruct the soldiers in the barracks?
“Instruye a los empleados nuevos.” — He/she instructs the new employees.
“Nosotros instruimos al perro con paciencia.” — We instruct the dog with patience.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show instruir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo instruí a los alumnos en el taller.” — Yesterday, I instructed the students in the workshop. (preterite)
“Antes, él instruía a los soldados en el cuartel.” — Before, he used to instruct the soldiers in the barracks. (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 instruir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros instruiremos a los empleados nuevos.” — Tomorrow, we will instruct the new employees. (future)
“¿Tú has instruido al perro con paciencia?” — Have you instructed the dog with patience? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros instruís a los alumnos en el taller.” — You instruct the students in the workshop.
“Ellos instruyen a los soldados en el cuartel.” — They instruct the soldiers in the barracks.
“Yo instruyo a los empleados nuevos.” — I instruct the new employees.
“Mi padre instruye al perro con paciencia.” — My father instructs the dog with patience.
Instruir 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 instruir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú instruyes a los soldados en el cuartel?” — Do you instruct the soldiers in the barracks?
Pedro: “Sí, yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — Yes, I instruct the students in the workshop.
Marta: “Nosotros instruimos al perro con paciencia.” — We instruct the dog with patience.
Pedro: “Y ellos instruyen a los soldados en el cuartel.” — And they instruct the soldiers in the barracks.
Marta: “Vosotros instruís a los empleados nuevos.” — You instruct the new employees.
Pedro: “Sí, y él instruye a los alumnos en el taller.” — Yes, and he instructs the students in the workshop.
A short paragraph
Instruye a los alumnos en el taller, y nosotros instruimos al perro con paciencia. Yo instruyo a los soldados en el cuartel, y ellos instruyen a los empleados nuevos. Instruir is part of everyday life, because instruct is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with instruir
These are the errors learners actually make with instruir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo instruye a los alumnos en el taller.” Right: “Yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” Why: The person matters: instruye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is instruyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo instruo a los soldados en el cuartel.” Right: “Yo instruyo a los soldados en el cuartel.” Why: Instruir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is instruyo and instruye, and the gerund is instruyendo. The form instruyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating instruir and enseñar as identical in every context.” Right: “Instruir means to instruct, while enseñar means to teach.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: instruir fits sentences such as Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller, while enseñar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy instruido a los soldados en el cuartel.” Right: “Yo he instruido a los soldados en el cuartel.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he instruido, has instruido, ha instruido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo instruí a los empleados nuevos todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo instruía a los empleados nuevos todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (instruía), not the preterite. The preterite (instruí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: instruir in use
Ten questions on instruir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ a los alumnos en el taller.” (You instruct the students in the workshop.)
- (a) instruís
- (b) instruyo
- (c) instruyes
Answer: instruís — The vosotros/as form of instruir in the present tense is instruís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a los soldados en el cuartel.” (They instruct the soldiers in the barracks.)
- (a) instruyes
- (b) instruyen
- (c) instruyo
Answer: instruyen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of instruir in the present tense is instruyen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ a los alumnos en el taller.” (Yesterday I instructed the students in the workshop.)
- (a) instruiste
- (b) instruyó
- (c) instruí
Answer: instruí — In the preterite, the yo form of instruir is instruí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ a los soldados en el cuartel.” (Before, he used to instruct the soldiers in the barracks.)
- (a) instruía
- (b) instruyo
- (c) instruías
Answer: instruía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of instruir is instruía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ a los empleados nuevos.” (Tomorrow we will instruct the new employees.)
- (a) instruirás
- (b) instruiremos
- (c) instruiré
Answer: instruiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of instruir is instruiremos.
6. What does instruir mean in English?
- (a) to instruct
- (b) to ingest
- (c) to teach
Answer: to instruct — Instruir means “to instruct”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo instruye a los alumnos en el taller.
- (b) Ellos instruye a los soldados en el cuartel.
- (c) Yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.
Answer: Yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller. — “Yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I instruct the students in the workshop.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre instruye al perro con paciencia.
- (b) Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.
- (c) Instruyen a los alumnos en el taller.
Answer: Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller. — “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of instruir in the present tense?
- (a) instruyo
- (b) instruyes
- (c) instruimos
Answer: instruimos — The nosotros form is instruimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros instruiremos a los empleados nuevos.
- (b) Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.
- (c) Ayer, yo instruí a los alumnos en el taller.
Answer: Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller. — “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I instruct the students in the workshop' in Spanish?
Say 'Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller todos los días'.
How do you say 'He instructs the soldiers in the barracks' in Spanish?
Say 'Él instruye a los soldados en el cuartel'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes instruye.
What is the difference between instruir and enseñar?
Instruir means to instruct, while enseñar means to teach. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use instruir when you mean to instruct, as in 'Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller', and use enseñar for to teach.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of instruir — every tense of instruir in one place.
- Instruir 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 instruir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of instruir until they are automatic.