Introduction
Lograr means “to achieve, to manage to”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Lograr is the verb for achieving a goal: passing an exam, winning a race, finishing a project. It is followed by an infinitive, with no preposition. Lograr + infinitive means to manage to do something difficult. It implies success after effort, which is what separates it from intentar. This page shows lograr 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 logro aprobar el examen.” — I manage to pass the exam.
Lograr in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how lograr 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 lograr in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo logro aprobar el examen.” — I manage to pass the exam.
“¿Tú logras dormir ocho horas?” — Do you manage to sleep eight hours?
“Mi hermano logra escalar la montaña.” — My brother manages to climb the mountain.
“Nosotros logramos nuestro objetivo.” — We achieve our goal.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show lograr in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo logré aprobar el examen.” — Yesterday I managed to pass the exam. (preterite)
“El equipo lograba ganar el partido siempre.” — The team always used to manage to win the match. (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 lograr stays the same.
“Nosotros lograremos nuestro objetivo mañana.” — We will achieve our goal tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has logrado alguna vez escalar?” — Have you ever managed to climb? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros lográis terminar a tiempo.” — You manage to finish on time.
“Ellos logran resolver el problema.” — They manage to solve the problem.
“Yo logro hablar español.” — I manage to speak Spanish.
“El equipo logra ganar el partido.” — The team manages to win the match.
Lograr 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 lograr appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Ana: “¿Tú logras dormir ocho horas?” — Do you manage to sleep eight hours?
Luis: “Sí, yo logro aprobar el examen.” — Yes, I manage to pass the exam.
Ana: “Nosotros logramos nuestro objetivo.” — We achieve our goal.
Luis: “Y ellos logran resolver el problema.” — And they manage to solve the problem.
Ana: “Vosotros lográis terminar a tiempo.” — You manage to finish on time.
Luis: “Sí, y mi hermano logra escalar la montaña.” — Yes, and my brother manages to climb the mountain.
A short paragraph
Ana logra aprobar el examen, y su hermano logra escalar la montaña. Nosotros logramos nuestro objetivo, y ellos logran resolver el problema. Yo logro hablar español, y el equipo logra ganar el partido. Lograr is part of every success, because achieving a goal, managing something difficult and winning a match are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with lograr
These are the errors learners actually make with lograr. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo logro a aprobar el examen.” Right: “Yo logro aprobar el examen.” Why: Lograr takes an infinitive directly, with no preposition: logro aprobar, not logro a aprobar. The a belongs to verbs such as comenzar a and aprender a, not to lograr.
Wrong: “Ellos logra resolver el problema.” Right: “Ellos logran resolver el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form logran. The singular logra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el equipo.
Wrong: “Yo logro aprobar ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo logré aprobar el examen.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished achievement yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to logré.
Wrong: “Nosotros logras nuestro objetivo.” Right: “Nosotros logramos nuestro objetivo.” Why: Nosotros needs logramos. The tú form logras belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos logro todos los días.” Right: “Ellos logran todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form logran, not the yo form logro. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: lograr in use
Ten questions on lograr in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ terminar a tiempo.” (You manage to finish on time.)
- (a) logras
- (b) lográis
- (c) logro
Answer: lográis — The vosotros/as form of lograr in the present tense is lográis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ resolver el problema.” (They manage to solve the problem.)
- (a) logran
- (b) logro
- (c) logras
Answer: logran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of lograr in the present tense is logran.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ aprobar el examen.” (Yesterday I managed to pass the exam.)
- (a) lograste
- (b) logró
- (c) logré
Answer: logré — In the preterite, the yo form of lograr is logré.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El equipo ______ ganar el partido siempre.” (The team always used to manage to win the match.)
- (a) lograbas
- (b) lograba
- (c) lograba
Answer: lograba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of lograr is lograba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ nuestro objetivo mañana.” (We will achieve our goal tomorrow.)
- (a) lograremos
- (b) lograré
- (c) lograrás
Answer: lograremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of lograr is lograremos.
6. What does lograr mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to achieve, to manage to
Answer: to achieve, to manage to — Lograr means “to achieve, to manage to”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo logro aprobar el examen.
- (b) Yo logro a aprobar el examen.
- (c) Ellos logra resolver el problema.
Answer: Yo logro aprobar el examen. — “Yo logro aprobar el examen.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I manage to speak Spanish.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo logran hablar español.
- (b) Yo logro hablar español.
- (c) El equipo logra ganar el partido.
Answer: Yo logro hablar español. — “Yo logro hablar español.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of lograr in the present tense?
- (a) logro
- (b) logras
- (c) logramos
Answer: logramos — The nosotros form is logramos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo logré aprobar el examen.
- (b) Nosotros lograremos nuestro objetivo mañana.
- (c) Yo logro aprobar el examen.
Answer: Yo logro aprobar el examen. — “Yo logro aprobar el examen.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I manage to pass the exam' in Spanish?
Say 'Logro aprobar el examen'. The infinitive follows directly with no preposition. For a goal: 'Logramos nuestro objetivo'.
How do you say 'to achieve a goal' in Spanish?
Say 'lograr un objetivo'. In the present: 'Nosotros logramos nuestro objetivo'. The goal is the direct object.
Can lograr be used with a noun?
Yes. Lograr + noun means to achieve something: 'Logro mi sueño' (I achieve my dream), 'Logramos nuestro objetivo' (We achieve our goal). The noun is the direct object.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of lograr — every tense of lograr in one place.
- Lograr 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 lograr and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of lograr until they are automatic.