Introduction
Obstruir means “to obstruct”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Obstruir means to obstruct or to block, and it is used for blocking a road, a pipe, a view and a process: obstruir la calle, obstruir el paso. It is a -uir verb: yo obstruyo, él obstruye, with y before the vowel endings. This page shows obstruir 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: “Obstruyo la calle con el camión.” — I obstruct the street with the lorry.
Obstruir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how obstruir 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 obstruir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Obstruyo la calle con el camión.” — I obstruct the street with the lorry.
“¿Obstruyes el paso en la puerta?” — Do you obstruct the doorway?
“Obstruye la tubería con hojas.” — He/she obstructs the pipe with leaves.
“Nosotros obstruimos la vista con el edificio.” — We obstruct the view with the building.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show obstruir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo obstruí la calle con el camión.” — Yesterday, I obstructed the street with the lorry. (preterite)
“Antes, él obstruía el paso en la puerta.” — Before, he used to obstruct the doorway. (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 obstruir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros obstruiremos la tubería con hojas.” — Tomorrow, we will obstruct the pipe with leaves. (future)
“¿Tú has obstruido la vista con el edificio?” — Have you obstructed the view with the building? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros obstruís la calle con el camión.” — You obstruct the street with the lorry.
“Ellos obstruyen el paso en la puerta.” — They obstruct the doorway.
“Yo obstruyo la tubería con hojas.” — I obstruct the pipe with leaves.
“Mi padre obstruye la vista con el edificio.” — My father obstructs the view with the building.
Obstruir 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 obstruir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú obstruyes el paso en la puerta?” — Do you obstruct the doorway?
Pedro: “Sí, yo obstruyo la calle con el camión.” — Yes, I obstruct the street with the lorry.
Marta: “Nosotros obstruimos la vista con el edificio.” — We obstruct the view with the building.
Pedro: “Y ellos obstruyen el paso en la puerta.” — And they obstruct the doorway.
Marta: “Vosotros obstruís la tubería con hojas.” — You obstruct the pipe with leaves.
Pedro: “Sí, y él obstruye la calle con el camión.” — Yes, and he obstructs the street with the lorry.
A short paragraph
Obstruye la calle con el camión, y nosotros obstruimos la vista con el edificio. Yo obstruyo el paso en la puerta, y ellos obstruyen la tubería con hojas. Obstruir is part of everyday life, because obstruct is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with obstruir
These are the errors learners actually make with obstruir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo obstruye la calle con el camión.” Right: “Yo obstruyo la calle con el camión.” Why: The person matters: obstruye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is obstruyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo obstruo el paso en la puerta.” Right: “Yo obstruyo el paso en la puerta.” Why: Obstruir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is obstruyo and obstruye, and the gerund is obstruyendo. The form obstruyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating obstruir and bloquear as identical in every context.” Right: “Obstruir means to obstruct, while bloquear means to block.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: obstruir fits sentences such as Obstruyo la calle con el camión, while bloquear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy obstruido el paso en la puerta.” Right: “Yo he obstruido el paso en la puerta.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he obstruido, has obstruido, ha obstruido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo obstruí la tubería con hojas todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo obstruía la tubería con hojas todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (obstruía), not the preterite. The preterite (obstruí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: obstruir in use
Ten questions on obstruir 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 calle con el camión.” (You obstruct the street with the lorry.)
- (a) obstruís
- (b) obstruyo
- (c) obstruyes
Answer: obstruís — The vosotros/as form of obstruir in the present tense is obstruís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el paso en la puerta.” (They obstruct the doorway.)
- (a) obstruyes
- (b) obstruyen
- (c) obstruyo
Answer: obstruyen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of obstruir in the present tense is obstruyen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la calle con el camión.” (Yesterday I obstructed the street with the lorry.)
- (a) obstruiste
- (b) obstruyó
- (c) obstruí
Answer: obstruí — In the preterite, the yo form of obstruir is obstruí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el paso en la puerta.” (Before, he used to obstruct the doorway.)
- (a) obstruía
- (b) obstruyo
- (c) obstruías
Answer: obstruía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of obstruir is obstruía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ la tubería con hojas.” (Tomorrow we will obstruct the pipe with leaves.)
- (a) obstruirás
- (b) obstruiremos
- (c) obstruiré
Answer: obstruiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of obstruir is obstruiremos.
6. What does obstruir mean in English?
- (a) to obstruct
- (b) to live badly
- (c) to block
Answer: to obstruct — Obstruir means “to obstruct”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo obstruye la calle con el camión.
- (b) Ellos obstruye el paso en la puerta.
- (c) Yo obstruyo la calle con el camión.
Answer: Yo obstruyo la calle con el camión. — “Yo obstruyo la calle con el camión.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I obstruct the street with the lorry.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre obstruye la vista con el edificio.
- (b) Obstruyo la calle con el camión.
- (c) Obstruyen la calle con el camión.
Answer: Obstruyo la calle con el camión. — “Obstruyo la calle con el camión.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of obstruir in the present tense?
- (a) obstruyo
- (b) obstruyes
- (c) obstruimos
Answer: obstruimos — The nosotros form is obstruimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros obstruiremos la tubería con hojas.
- (b) Obstruyo la calle con el camión.
- (c) Ayer, yo obstruí la calle con el camión.
Answer: Obstruyo la calle con el camión. — “Obstruyo la calle con el camión.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I obstruct the street with the lorry' in Spanish?
Say 'Obstruyo la calle con el camión'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Obstruyo la calle con el camión todos los días'.
How do you say 'He obstructs the doorway' in Spanish?
Say 'Él obstruye el paso en la puerta'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes obstruye.
What is the difference between obstruir and bloquear?
Obstruir means to obstruct, while bloquear means to block. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use obstruir when you mean to obstruct, as in 'Obstruyo la calle con el camión', and use bloquear for to block.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of obstruir — every tense of obstruir in one place.
- Obstruir 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 obstruir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of obstruir until they are automatic.