Ofrecer Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
ofrecer means "to offer" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows ofrecer 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 ofrecer, 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 ofrecer
Offering help or something to someone
Ofrecer means to offer: ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos. The thing offered is the direct object, and the person who receives it is the indirect object, usually with a.
- Cada día, yo ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos. — "Every day, I offer help to the neighbours."
- Hoy, él / ella ofrece un descuento especial. — "Today, he / she offers a special discount."
- Ayer, yo ofrecí café a los invitados. — "Yesterday, I offered coffee to the guests."
- Antes, yo ofrecía una solución al problema. — "Before, I used to offer a solution to the problem."
- Mañana, yo ofreceré ayuda a los vecinos. — "Tomorrow, I will offer help to the neighbours."
- Hoy, yo he ofrecido un descuento especial. — "Today, I have offered a special discount."
Offering in shops and business
Ofrecer also describes what shops and companies offer: la tienda ofrece un descuento. In this use it means to have something available, and it is standard business Spanish.
- Cada día, yo ofrezco café a los invitados. — "Every day, I offer coffee to the guests."
- Hoy, él / ella ofrece una solución al problema. — "Today, he / she offers a solution to the problem."
- Ayer, yo ofrecí ayuda a los vecinos. — "Yesterday, I offered help to the neighbours."
- Antes, yo ofrecía un descuento especial. — "Before, I used to offer a special discount."
- Mañana, yo ofreceré café a los invitados. — "Tomorrow, I will offer coffee to the guests."
- Hoy, yo he ofrecido una solución al problema. — "Today, I have offered a solution to the problem."
Ofrecer in conversation
The two dialogues below show ofrecer in natural conversation. The first is about offering help or something to someone, and the second is about offering in shops and business. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú ofreces ayuda a los vecinos? — "Do you offer help to the neighbours?"
- Sí, yo ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos cada día. — "Yes, I offer help to the neighbours every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú ofreciste un descuento especial? — "And yesterday? Did you offer a special discount?"
- Sí, ayer yo ofrecí un descuento especial. — "Yes, yesterday I offered a special discount."
- Mañana yo ofreceré café a los invitados también. — "Tomorrow I will offer coffee to the guests too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros ofrecéis café a los invitados? — "Do you offer coffee to the guests?"
- Sí, nosotros ofrecemos café a los invitados los fines de semana. — "Yes, we offer coffee to the guests at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos ofrecen una solución al problema? — "And them? Do they offer a solution to the problem?"
- Sí, ellos ofrecen una solución al problema también. — "Yes, they offer a solution to the problem too."
- Mañana nosotros ofreceremos café a los invitados otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will offer coffee to the guests again."
Common mistakes with ofrecer in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo ofreco ayuda.
- Right: Yo ofrezco ayuda.
- Why: The yo form is ofrezco, with a z. The c changes to zc before o, to keep the soft sound: ofrezco, ofreces, ofrece.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos, pero ellos no la ofrecen.
- Right: Yo ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos.
- Why: The second clause is unnecessary and confusing. Say the offer once, clearly, and let the sentence stand on its own.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Ofrecer es lo mismo que dar.
- Right: Ofrecer means to offer; dar means to give.
- Why: Offering is proposing to give. Giving is the act itself. You can ofrecer something that is never accepted, but you cannot dar something that is never taken.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo ofrecí ayuda a los vecinos.
- Right: Cada día, yo ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos.
- 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 ofrezco ayuda a los vecinos ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo ofrecí ayuda a los vecinos.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: ofrecer in use
Ten questions on ofrecer across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of ofrecer in the present tense?
- (a) ofrece
- (b) ofrecemos
- (c) ofrezco
- (d) ofreces
Answer: (c) ofrezco. The i form in the present is ofrezco.
2. What is the he / she form of ofrecer in the present tense?
- (a) ofrecemos
- (b) ofrece
- (c) ofrezco
- (d) ofreces
Answer: (b) ofrece. The he / she form in the present is ofrece.
3. What is the he / she form of ofrecer in the preterite tense?
- (a) ofreció
- (b) ofrecí
- (c) ofreciste
- (d) ofrecimos
Answer: (a) ofreció. The he / she form in the preterite is ofreció.
4. What is the i form of ofrecer in the imperfect tense?
- (a) ofrezco
- (b) ofrecí
- (c) ofreceré
- (d) ofrecía
Answer: (d) ofrecía. The i form in the imperfect is ofrecía. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of ofrecer in the future tense?
- (a) ofrecerá
- (b) ofreceremos
- (c) ofreceré
- (d) ofrecerás
Answer: (c) ofreceré. The i form in the future is ofreceré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) ofrecí
- (b) ofrecía
- (c) ofrezco
- (d) he ofrecido
Answer: (d) he ofrecido. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he ofrecido.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ ayuda a los vecinos.
- (a) ofrecía
- (b) ofrezca
- (c) ofrece
- (d) ofreció
Answer: (b) ofrezca. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: ofrezca. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of ofrecer in the present tense?
- (a) ofrezco
- (b) ofreces
- (c) ofrece
- (d) ofrecemos
Answer: (d) ofrecemos. The we form in the present is ofrecemos.
9. What is the i form of ofrecer in the preterite tense?
- (a) ofreció
- (b) ofrecimos
- (c) ofrecí
- (d) ofreciste
Answer: (c) ofrecí. The i form in the preterite is ofrecí.
10. What is the they form of ofrecer in the present tense?
- (a) ofrece
- (b) ofrecen
- (c) ofrezco
- (d) ofreces
Answer: (b) ofrecen. The they form in the present is ofrecen.
Frequently asked questions about ofrecer
Why is it ofrezco and not ofreco?
Because -ecer verbs change c to zc before o: ofrezco, agradezco, entristezco. It keeps the soft c sound, and it is a spelling change, not an irregularity.
Does ofrecer take an indirect object?
Yes, very often: te ofrezco ayuda means I offer you help. The person who receives the offer is the indirect object, and it usually comes before the verb.
What is the gerund of ofrecer?
Ofreciendo. The progressive is estar + gerund: estoy ofreciendo ayuda. The past participle is ofrecido: he ofrecido una solución.
How can I practise ofrecer?
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.