Obtener Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
obtener means "to obtain" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows obtener in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of obtener, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with obtener
Obtaining a result or a document
Obtener means to obtain: obtengo un buen resultado. It is the formal verb for getting something through effort or through a process, and it appears in official and academic Spanish.
- Cada día, yo obtengo un buen resultado en el examen. — "Every day, I obtain a good result in the exam."
- Hoy, él / ella obtiene el permiso de conducir. — "Today, he / she obtains the driving licence."
- Ayer, yo obtuve una beca para estudiar. — "Yesterday, I obtained a scholarship to study."
- Antes, yo obtenía información importante. — "Before, I used to obtain important information."
- Mañana, yo obtendré un buen resultado en el examen. — "Tomorrow, I will obtain a good result in the exam."
- Hoy, yo he obtenido el permiso de conducir. — "Today, I have obtained the driving licence."
Obtaining information
Obtener información is the research use: it means to get information, usually through work. It is the standard verb for reports, studies and investigations.
- Cada día, yo obtengo una beca para estudiar. — "Every day, I obtain a scholarship to study."
- Hoy, él / ella obtiene información importante. — "Today, he / she obtains important information."
- Ayer, yo obtuve un buen resultado en el examen. — "Yesterday, I obtained a good result in the exam."
- Antes, yo obtenía el permiso de conducir. — "Before, I used to obtain the driving licence."
- Mañana, yo obtendré una beca para estudiar. — "Tomorrow, I will obtain a scholarship to study."
- Hoy, yo he obtenido información importante. — "Today, I have obtained important information."
Obtener in conversation
The two dialogues below show obtener in natural conversation. The first is about obtaining a result or a document, and the second is about obtaining information. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú obtienes un buen resultado en el examen? — "Do you obtain a good result in the exam?"
- Sí, yo obtengo un buen resultado en el examen cada día. — "Yes, I obtain a good result in the exam every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú obtuviste el permiso de conducir? — "And yesterday? Did you obtain the driving licence?"
- Sí, ayer yo obtuve el permiso de conducir. — "Yes, yesterday I obtained the driving licence."
- Mañana yo obtendré una beca para estudiar también. — "Tomorrow I will obtain a scholarship to study too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros obtenéis una beca para estudiar? — "Do you obtain a scholarship to study?"
- Sí, nosotros obtenemos una beca para estudiar los fines de semana. — "Yes, we obtain a scholarship to study at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos obtienen información importante? — "And them? Do they obtain important information?"
- Sí, ellos obtienen información importante también. — "Yes, they obtain important information too."
- Mañana nosotros obtendremos una beca para estudiar otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will obtain a scholarship to study again."
Common mistakes with obtener in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ayer yo obtení un buen resultado.
- Right: Ayer yo obtuve un buen resultado.
- Why: The preterite of obtener is irregular: obtuve, obtuviste, obtuvo. The regular-looking form obtení does not exist.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: He obtenido un buen resultado, pero no lo tengo.
- Right: He obtenido un buen resultado.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. Obtener means you got it, so do not add that you do not have it.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Obtener es lo mismo que conseguir.
- Right: They are close, but obtener is more formal.
- Why: Conseguir is the everyday verb for getting something. Obtener is the formal version, used in official, academic and written Spanish.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo obtuve un buen resultado en el examen.
- Right: Cada día, yo obtengo un buen resultado en el examen.
- Why: Cada día means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo obtengo un buen resultado en el examen ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo obtuve un buen resultado en el examen.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: obtener in use
Ten questions on obtener across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of obtener in the present tense?
- (a) obtiene
- (b) obtenemos
- (c) obtengo
- (d) obtienes
Answer: (c) obtengo. The i form in the present is obtengo.
2. What is the he / she form of obtener in the present tense?
- (a) obtenemos
- (b) obtiene
- (c) obtengo
- (d) obtienes
Answer: (b) obtiene. The he / she form in the present is obtiene.
3. What is the he / she form of obtener in the preterite tense?
- (a) obtuvo
- (b) obtuve
- (c) obtuviste
- (d) obtuvimos
Answer: (a) obtuvo. The he / she form in the preterite is obtuvo.
4. What is the i form of obtener in the imperfect tense?
- (a) obtengo
- (b) obtuve
- (c) obtendré
- (d) obtenía
Answer: (d) obtenía. The i form in the imperfect is obtenía. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of obtener in the future tense?
- (a) obtendrá
- (b) obtendremos
- (c) obtendré
- (d) obtendrás
Answer: (c) obtendré. The i form in the future is obtendré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) obtuve
- (b) obtenía
- (c) obtengo
- (d) he obtenido
Answer: (d) he obtenido. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he obtenido.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un buen resultado en el examen.
- (a) obtenía
- (b) obtenga
- (c) obtiene
- (d) obtuvo
Answer: (b) obtenga. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: obtenga. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of obtener in the present tense?
- (a) obtengo
- (b) obtienes
- (c) obtiene
- (d) obtenemos
Answer: (d) obtenemos. The we form in the present is obtenemos.
9. What is the i form of obtener in the preterite tense?
- (a) obtuvo
- (b) obtuvimos
- (c) obtuve
- (d) obtuviste
Answer: (c) obtuve. The i form in the preterite is obtuve.
10. What is the they form of obtener in the present tense?
- (a) obtiene
- (b) obtienen
- (c) obtengo
- (d) obtienes
Answer: (b) obtienen. The they form in the present is obtienen.
Frequently asked questions about obtener
Is the preterite of obtener regular?
No. It uses the irregular stem obtuv-: obtuve, obtuviste, obtuvo, obtuvimos, obtuvisteis, obtuvieron. The same stem appears in the imperfect subjunctive.
What is the difference between obtener and conseguir?
Conseguir is the everyday verb for getting something. Obtener is more formal and more official, and it is the verb you meet in documents and in academic writing.
Is obtener a stem-changing verb?
Yes, in the present tense: obtengo, obtienes, obtiene, obtienen. The stem changes from e to ie in the stressed forms, and the yo form is obtengo.
How can I practise obtener?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.