Originar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

originar means to originate, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo origino todos los días» — I originate every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use originar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Originar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where originar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo origino todos los días. — I originate every day.
  2. Tú originas en el trabajo. — You originate at work.
  3. Él origina con mi familia. — He originates with my family.
  4. Nosotros originamos por la mañana. — We originate in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo originé por la tarde. — Yesterday I originated in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo originaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to originate every day.
  3. La semana pasada él originó dos veces. — Last week He originated twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo originaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will originate without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo originaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would originate right now.
  3. Hoy yo he originado dos veces. — Today I have originated twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú origines pronto. — I hope You originate soon.
  2. ¡origina, por favor! — Originate, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy originando. — Right now I am originating.

Originar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo origino en el trabajo.» — I originate at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo origino con mi familia.» — I originate with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo originaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will originate without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo originaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would originate right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he originado dos veces.» — Today I have originated twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo originé por la tarde. Antes, yo originaba todos los días. Hoy yo he originado dos veces. Mañana yo originaré sin falta.

Yesterday I originated in the afternoon. In the past, I used to originate every day. Today I have originated twice. Tomorrow I will originate without fail.

Common mistakes with originar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo originaba.

Right: Ayer yo originé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, originé. The imperfect originaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú originas.

Right: Espero que tú origines.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: origines, not the indicative originas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No origina.

Right: No origines.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no origines. The affirmative origina can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo originar todos los días.

Right: Yo origino todos los días.

The infinitive originar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo origino.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He originando.

Right: He originado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he originado. The gerund originando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy originando»), never with haber.

Quiz: originar in use

Test yourself on originar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) originas
- (b) origino
- (c) origina
- (d) originamos

2. What is the nosotros/as form of originar in the preterite?

- (a) originaste
- (b) originé
- (c) originamos
- (d) originó

3. What is the vosotros/as form of originar in the future?

- (a) originará
- (b) originaréis
- (c) originaré
- (d) originarás

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of originar in the present perfect?

- (a) has originado
- (b) he originado
- (c) ha originado
- (d) han originado

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of originar in the imperfect?

- (a) originaba
- (b) originabas
- (c) originábamos
- (d) originaba

6. What is the gerund of originar?

- (a) origino
- (b) originar
- (c) originando
- (d) originado

7. What is the past participle of originar?

- (a) originé
- (b) originando
- (c) originar
- (d) originado

8. Which sentence uses originar correctly?

- (a) *Yo originas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo origino todos los días.* — I originate every day.
- (c) *Yo origina todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo originar todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses originar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo origino por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo originar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo originaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo originé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I originated in the afternoon.

10. What does originar mean?

- (a) to oppose
- (b) to agree
- (c) to organise oneself
- (d) to originate

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of originar is origina. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the preterite, the nosotros/as form of originar is originamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the future, the vosotros/as form of originar is originaréis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of originar is han originado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of originar is originaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — The gerund of originar is originando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy originando». 7. (d) — The past participle of originar is originado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he originado». 8. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of originar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of originar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (d) — originar means «to originate».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I originate' in Spanish?

Say «Yo origino todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I originated' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo originé por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is originar reflexive?

No — originar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo origino, tú originas, él origina. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with originar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (originé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (originaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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