Perdonar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

perdonar means "to forgive" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows perdonar 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 perdonar, 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 perdonar

Forgiving a person

Perdonar a alguien means to forgive a person: perdono a mi hermano por el error. The person is the direct object with the personal a, and por introduces the reason.

  1. Cada día, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "Every day, I forgive my brother for the mistake."
  2. Hoy, él / ella perdona los errores del pasado. — "Today, he / she forgives the mistakes of the past."
  3. Ayer, yo perdoné a tu amigo. — "Yesterday, I forgave your friend."
  4. Antes, yo perdonaba una deuda grande. — "Before, I used to forgive a large debt."
  5. Mañana, yo perdonaré a mi hermano por el error. — "Tomorrow, I will forgive my brother for the mistake."
  6. Hoy, yo he perdonado los errores del pasado. — "Today, I have forgiven the mistakes of the past."

Forgiving a debt or a mistake

Perdonar also takes debts and mistakes: perdono una deuda, perdono los errores. In this use it means to cancel or to let go of something.

  1. Cada día, yo perdono a tu amigo. — "Every day, I forgive your friend."
  2. Hoy, él / ella perdona una deuda grande. — "Today, he / she forgives a large debt."
  3. Ayer, yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error. — "Yesterday, I forgave my brother for the mistake."
  4. Antes, yo perdonaba los errores del pasado. — "Before, I used to forgive the mistakes of the past."
  5. Mañana, yo perdonaré a tu amigo. — "Tomorrow, I will forgive your friend."
  6. Hoy, yo he perdonado una deuda grande. — "Today, I have forgiven a large debt."

Perdonar in conversation

The two dialogues below show perdonar in natural conversation. The first is about forgiving a person, and the second is about forgiving a debt or a mistake. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú perdonas a mi hermano por el error? — "Do you forgive my brother for the mistake?"
  • Sí, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error cada día. — "Yes, I forgive my brother for the mistake every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú perdonaste los errores del pasado? — "And yesterday? Did you forgive the mistakes of the past?"
  • Sí, ayer yo perdoné los errores del pasado. — "Yes, yesterday I forgave the mistakes of the past."
  • Mañana yo perdonaré a tu amigo también. — "Tomorrow I will forgive your friend too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros perdonáis a tu amigo? — "Do you forgive your friend?"
  • Sí, nosotros perdonamos a tu amigo los fines de semana. — "Yes, we forgive your friend at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos perdonan una deuda grande? — "And them? Do they forgive a large debt?"
  • Sí, ellos perdonan una deuda grande también. — "Yes, they forgive a large debt too."
  • Mañana nosotros perdonaremos a tu amigo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will forgive your friend again."

Common mistakes with perdonar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo perdono mi hermano.
  • Right: Yo perdono a mi hermano.
  • Why: When the object is a person, perdonar needs the personal a: perdono a mi hermano, perdono a tu amigo.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Perdono a mi hermano por el error, pero no lo perdono.
  • Right: Perdono a mi hermano por el error.
  • Why: The second clause contradicts the first. If you forgive, say so once, clearly, and let the sentence stand.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Perdonar es lo mismo que disculpar.
  • Right: Perdonar means to forgive; disculpar means to excuse.
  • Why: Perdonar is about letting go of a hurt. Disculpar is about accepting an excuse for a small fault. The two verbs belong to different situations.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Cada día, yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error.
  • Right: Cada día, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error.
  • 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 perdono a mi hermano por el error ayer por la mañana.
  • Right: Ayer por la mañana yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error.
  • Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.

Quiz: perdonar in use

Ten questions on perdonar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the i form of perdonar in the present tense?

  • (a) perdona
  • (b) perdonamos
  • (c) perdono
  • (d) perdonas

Answer: (c) perdono. The i form in the present is perdono.

2. What is the he / she form of perdonar in the present tense?

  • (a) perdonamos
  • (b) perdona
  • (c) perdono
  • (d) perdonas

Answer: (b) perdona. The he / she form in the present is perdona.

3. What is the he / she form of perdonar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) perdonó
  • (b) perdoné
  • (c) perdonaste
  • (d) perdonamos

Answer: (a) perdonó. The he / she form in the preterite is perdonó.

4. What is the i form of perdonar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) perdono
  • (b) perdoné
  • (c) perdonaré
  • (d) perdonaba

Answer: (d) perdonaba. The i form in the imperfect is perdonaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.

5. What is the i form of perdonar in the future tense?

  • (a) perdonará
  • (b) perdonaremos
  • (c) perdonaré
  • (d) perdonarás

Answer: (c) perdonaré. The i form in the future is perdonaré.

6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?

  • (a) perdoné
  • (b) perdonaba
  • (c) perdono
  • (d) he perdonado

Answer: (d) he perdonado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he perdonado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a mi hermano por el error.

  • (a) perdonaba
  • (b) perdone
  • (c) perdona
  • (d) perdonó

Answer: (b) perdone. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: perdone. The indicative form would be wrong here.

8. What is the we form of perdonar in the present tense?

  • (a) perdono
  • (b) perdonas
  • (c) perdona
  • (d) perdonamos

Answer: (d) perdonamos. The we form in the present is perdonamos.

9. What is the i form of perdonar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) perdonó
  • (b) perdonamos
  • (c) perdoné
  • (d) perdonaste

Answer: (c) perdoné. The i form in the preterite is perdoné.

10. What is the they form of perdonar in the present tense?

  • (a) perdona
  • (b) perdonan
  • (c) perdono
  • (d) perdonas

Answer: (b) perdonan. The they form in the present is perdonan.

Frequently asked questions about perdonar

Does perdonar take a or por?

Both: perdono a mi hermano por el error. The a goes before the person you forgive, and por goes before the reason.

Is perdonar regular?

Yes. Perdonar is a regular -ar verb: perdono, perdonaste, perdonaba, perdonaré. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes.

What is the difference between perdonar and disculpar?

Perdonar is forgiving a real hurt. Disculpar is excusing a small fault, like being late. You perdonar a betrayal; you disculpar a delay.

How can I practise perdonar?

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.

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