Materializar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
materializar means "to materialise" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see materializar with his idea into a project, the dream into a house, the plan into a book and the promise into a gift — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. — "Every day, I materialise his idea into a project." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
materializar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with materializar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. — "Every day, I materialise his idea into a project." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo materialicé el sueño en una casa. — "Yesterday, I materialised the dream into a house." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo materializaba el plan en un libro. — "In the past, I used to materialise the plan into a book." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros materializaremos la promesa en un regalo. — "Tomorrow, we will materialise the promise into a gift." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú materializarías su idea en un proyecto. — "If you could, you would materialise his idea into a project." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he materializado el sueño en una casa. — "I have materialised the dream into a house." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él materializa el plan en un libro. — "Normally, he/she materialises the plan into a book." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él materializó la promesa en un regalo. — "Yesterday, he/she materialised the promise into a gift." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros materializábamos su idea en un proyecto. — "In the past, we used to materialise his idea into a project." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo materializaré el sueño en una casa. — "Tomorrow, I will materialise the dream into a house." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él materialice el plan en un libro. — "I hope that he/she materialises the plan into a book." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Materializa la promesa en un regalo! — "Materialise the promise into a gift!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using materializar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: his idea into a project, the dream into a house, the plan into a book and the promise into a gift.
Dialogue 1: talking about his idea into a project
Ana: ¿Tú materializas su idea en un proyecto? — "Do you materialise his idea into a project?" Luis: Sí, yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. — "I materialise his idea into a project." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo materialicé el sueño en una casa. — "Yesterday, I materialised the dream into a house." Ana: Mañana, nosotros materializaremos el plan en un libro. — "Tomorrow, we will materialise the plan into a book." Luis: Si pudiera, yo materializaría la promesa en un regalo. — "If I could, I would materialise the promise into a gift." Ana: Antes, yo materializaba el sueño en una casa. — "In the past, I used to materialise the dream into a house." Luis: Yo he materializado su idea en un proyecto. — "I have materialised his idea into a project." Ana: ¡Materializa el plan en un libro! — "Materialise the plan into a book!"
In this dialogue materializar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the plan into a book
Ana: Él materializa el plan en un libro. — "he/she materialises the plan into a book." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él materializa el plan en un libro todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she materialises the plan into a book every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos materializan la promesa en un regalo. — "they materialise the promise into a gift." Luis: Ayer, ellos materializaron el plan en un libro. — "Yesterday, they materialised the plan into a book." Ana: Espero que él materialice la promesa en un regalo. — "I hope that he/she materialises the promise into a gift." Luis: Mañana, él materializará el plan en un libro. — "Tomorrow, he/she will materialise the plan into a book." Ana: Antes, nosotros materializábamos la promesa en un regalo. — "In the past, we used to materialise the promise into a gift." Luis: Nosotros materializamos su idea en un proyecto también. — "we materialise his idea into a project too."
This dialogue shows materializar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with materializar
The errors learners actually make with materializar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me materializo su idea en un proyecto.
- Right: Yo materializo su idea en un proyecto.
- Why: materializar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo materializar su idea en un proyecto.
- Right: Yo materializo su idea en un proyecto.
- Why: The infinitive materializar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form materializo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo materializo el sueño en una casa.
- Right: Ayer, yo materialicé el sueño en una casa.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo materialicé el sueño en una casa. — "Yesterday, I materialised the dream into a house."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy materializado el plan en un libro.
- Right: Estoy materializando el plan en un libro.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund materializando for the progressive. The participle materializado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he materializado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros materializa su idea en un proyecto.
- Right: Nosotros materializamos su idea en un proyecto.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes materializamos, while materializa belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: materializar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on materializar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of materializar in the present tense?
- (a) materializas
- (b) materializa
- (c) materializamos
- (d) materializo
Answer: (d) materializo. The yo form is materializo.
2. What is the tú form of materializar in the present tense?
- (a) materializa
- (b) materializamos
- (c) materializas
- (d) materializo
Answer: (c) materializas. The tú form is materializas.
3. What is the él/ella form of materializar in the present tense?
- (a) materializamos
- (b) materializa
- (c) materializo
- (d) materializas
Answer: (b) materializa. The él/ella form is materializa.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ su idea en un proyecto.
- (a) materializo
- (b) materializas
- (c) materializa
- (d) materializamos
Answer: (a) materializo. The sentence needs the yo form materializo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el sueño en una casa.
- (a) materializaste
- (b) materializó
- (c) materializamos
- (d) materialicé
Answer: (d) materialicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is materialicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el plan en un libro.
- (a) materializábamos
- (b) materializabais
- (c) materializaba
- (d) materializabas
Answer: (c) materializaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is materializaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ la promesa en un regalo.
- (a) materializaremos
- (b) materializaré
- (c) materializarás
- (d) materializará
Answer: (b) materializaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is materializaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su idea en un proyecto.
- (a) hemos materializado
- (b) he materializado
- (c) has materializado
- (d) ha materializado
Answer: (b) he materializado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he materializado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el plan en un libro.
- (a) materialices
- (b) materialicemos
- (c) materialicéis
- (d) materialice
Answer: (d) materialice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is materialice.
10. What does materializar mean in English?
- (a) to stabilise
- (b) to familiarise
- (c) to finish
- (d) to materialise
Answer: (d) to materialise. materializar means "to materialise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about materializar
What does materializar mean?
materializar means "to materialise" in English. Use it when you talk about his idea into a project, the dream into a house, the plan into a book and the promise into a gift — for example: Cada día, yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. — "Every day, I materialise his idea into a project."
Is there a reflexive form of materializar?
No. materializar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo materializo su idea en un proyecto. — "Every day, I materialise his idea into a project."
What is the most common mistake with materializar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is materialicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example materialice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise materializar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.