Introduction
Interrumpir means “to interrupt”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Interrumpir means to interrupt, and it covers interrupting a person who is speaking, interrupting a meeting, and interrupting a journey or a process. It takes a direct object: interrumpir la clase, interrumpir a María. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows interrumpir 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: “Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” — I interrupt the class with a question.
Interrumpir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how interrumpir 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 interrumpir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” — I interrupt the class with a question.
“¿Interrumpes a María mientras habla?” — Do you interrupt María while she is speaking?
“Interrumpe el viaje por la lluvia.” — He/she interrupts the trip because of the rain.
“Nosotros interrumpimos la reunión dos veces.” — We interrupt the meeting twice.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show interrumpir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo interrumpí la clase con una pregunta.” — Yesterday, I interrupted the class with a question. (preterite)
“Antes, él interrumpía a María mientras habla.” — Before, he used to interrupt María while she is speaking. (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 interrumpir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros interrumpiremos el viaje por la lluvia.” — Tomorrow, we will interrupt the trip because of the rain. (future)
“¿Tú has interrumpido la reunión dos veces?” — Have you interrupted the meeting twice? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros interrumpís la clase con una pregunta.” — You interrupt the class with a question.
“Ellos interrumpen a María mientras habla.” — They interrupt María while she is speaking.
“Yo interrumpo el viaje por la lluvia.” — I interrupt the trip because of the rain.
“Mi padre interrumpe la reunión dos veces.” — My father interrupts the meeting twice.
Interrumpir 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 interrumpir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú interrumpes a María mientras habla?” — Do you interrupt María while she is speaking?
Pedro: “Sí, yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” — Yes, I interrupt the class with a question.
Marta: “Nosotros interrumpimos la reunión dos veces.” — We interrupt the meeting twice.
Pedro: “Y ellos interrumpen a María mientras habla.” — And they interrupt María while she is speaking.
Marta: “Vosotros interrumpís el viaje por la lluvia.” — You interrupt the trip because of the rain.
Pedro: “Sí, y él interrumpe la clase con una pregunta.” — Yes, and he interrupts the class with a question.
A short paragraph
Interrumpe la clase con una pregunta, y nosotros interrumpimos la reunión dos veces. Yo interrumpo a María mientras habla, y ellos interrumpen el viaje por la lluvia. Interrumpir is part of everyday life, because interrupt is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with interrumpir
These are the errors learners actually make with interrumpir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo interrumpe la clase con una pregunta.” Right: “Yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” Why: The person matters: interrumpe is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is interrumpo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo interrumpo a María mientras habla.” Right: “Ayer yo interrumpí a María mientras habla.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: interrumpo is happening now, while interrumpí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating interrumpir and cortar as identical in every context.” Right: “Interrumpir means to interrupt, while cortar means to cut off.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: interrumpir fits sentences such as Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta, while cortar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy interrumpido a María mientras habla.” Right: “Yo he interrumpido a María mientras habla.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he interrumpido, has interrumpido, ha interrumpido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo interrumpí el viaje por la lluvia todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo interrumpía el viaje por la lluvia todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (interrumpía), not the preterite. The preterite (interrumpí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: interrumpir in use
Ten questions on interrumpir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ la clase con una pregunta.” (You interrupt the class with a question.)
- (a) interrumpís
- (b) interrumpo
- (c) interrumpes
Answer: interrumpís — The vosotros/as form of interrumpir in the present tense is interrumpís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a María mientras habla.” (They interrupt María while she is speaking.)
- (a) interrumpes
- (b) interrumpen
- (c) interrumpo
Answer: interrumpen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of interrumpir in the present tense is interrumpen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la clase con una pregunta.” (Yesterday I interrupted the class with a question.)
- (a) interrumpiste
- (b) interrumpió
- (c) interrumpí
Answer: interrumpí — In the preterite, the yo form of interrumpir is interrumpí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ a María mientras habla.” (Before, he used to interrupt María while she is speaking.)
- (a) interrumpía
- (b) interrumpo
- (c) interrumpías
Answer: interrumpía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of interrumpir is interrumpía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ el viaje por la lluvia.” (Tomorrow we will interrupt the trip because of the rain.)
- (a) interrumpirás
- (b) interrumpiremos
- (c) interrumpiré
Answer: interrumpiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of interrumpir is interrumpiremos.
6. What does interrumpir mean in English?
- (a) to interrupt
- (b) to insist
- (c) to cut off
Answer: to interrupt — Interrumpir means “to interrupt”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo interrumpe la clase con una pregunta.
- (b) Ellos interrumpe a María mientras habla.
- (c) Yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.
Answer: Yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. — “Yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I interrupt the class with a question.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre interrumpe la reunión dos veces.
- (b) Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.
- (c) Interrumpen la clase con una pregunta.
Answer: Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. — “Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of interrumpir in the present tense?
- (a) interrumpo
- (b) interrumpes
- (c) interrumpimos
Answer: interrumpimos — The nosotros form is interrumpimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros interrumpiremos el viaje por la lluvia.
- (b) Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.
- (c) Ayer, yo interrumpí la clase con una pregunta.
Answer: Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. — “Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I interrupt the class with a question' in Spanish?
Say 'Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta todos los días'.
How do you say 'He interrupts María while she is speaking' in Spanish?
Say 'Él interrumpe a María mientras habla'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes interrumpe.
What is the difference between interrumpir and cortar?
Interrumpir means to interrupt, while cortar means to cut off. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use interrumpir when you mean to interrupt, as in 'Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta', and use cortar for to cut off.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of interrumpir — every tense of interrumpir in one place.
- Interrumpir 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 interrumpir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of interrumpir until they are automatic.