Introduction
Persuadir means “to persuade”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Persuadir means to persuade, and it is the verb for convincing someone with words: persuadir a María, persuadir con argumentos. It takes a for the person persuaded, and de plus an infinitive for what they are persuaded to do. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows persuadir 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: “Persuado a María con argumentos.” — I persuade María with arguments.
Persuadir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how persuadir 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 persuadir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Persuado a María con argumentos.” — I persuade María with arguments.
“¿Persuades a su padre de viajar?” — Do you persuade his father to travel?
“Persuade al jefe con datos.” — He/she persuades the boss with data.
“Nosotros persuadimos a los niños de estudiar.” — We persuade the children to study.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show persuadir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo persuadí a María con argumentos.” — Yesterday, I persuaded María with arguments. (preterite)
“Antes, él persuadía a su padre de viajar.” — Before, he used to persuade his father to travel. (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 persuadir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros persuadiremos al jefe con datos.” — Tomorrow, we will persuade the boss with data. (future)
“¿Tú has persuadido a los niños de estudiar?” — Have you persuaded the children to study? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros persuadís a María con argumentos.” — You persuade María with arguments.
“Ellos persuaden a su padre de viajar.” — They persuade his father to travel.
“Yo persuado al jefe con datos.” — I persuade the boss with data.
“Mi padre persuade a los niños de estudiar.” — My father persuades the children to study.
Persuadir 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 persuadir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú persuades a su padre de viajar?” — Do you persuade his father to travel?
Pedro: “Sí, yo persuado a María con argumentos.” — Yes, I persuade María with arguments.
Marta: “Nosotros persuadimos a los niños de estudiar.” — We persuade the children to study.
Pedro: “Y ellos persuaden a su padre de viajar.” — And they persuade his father to travel.
Marta: “Vosotros persuadís al jefe con datos.” — You persuade the boss with data.
Pedro: “Sí, y él persuade a María con argumentos.” — Yes, and he persuades María with arguments.
A short paragraph
Persuade a María con argumentos, y nosotros persuadimos a los niños de estudiar. Yo persuado a su padre de viajar, y ellos persuaden al jefe con datos. Persuadir is part of everyday life, because persuade is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with persuadir
These are the errors learners actually make with persuadir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo persuade a María con argumentos.” Right: “Yo persuado a María con argumentos.” Why: The person matters: persuade is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is persuado. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo persuado a su padre de viajar.” Right: “Ayer yo persuadí a su padre de viajar.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: persuado is happening now, while persuadí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating persuadir and convencer as identical in every context.” Right: “Persuadir means to persuade, while convencer means to convince.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: persuadir fits sentences such as Persuado a María con argumentos, while convencer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy persuadido a su padre de viajar.” Right: “Yo he persuadido a su padre de viajar.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he persuadido, has persuadido, ha persuadido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo persuadí al jefe con datos todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo persuadía al jefe con datos todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (persuadía), not the preterite. The preterite (persuadí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: persuadir in use
Ten questions on persuadir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ a María con argumentos.” (You persuade María with arguments.)
- (a) persuadís
- (b) persuado
- (c) persuades
Answer: persuadís — The vosotros/as form of persuadir in the present tense is persuadís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a su padre de viajar.” (They persuade his father to travel.)
- (a) persuades
- (b) persuaden
- (c) persuado
Answer: persuaden — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of persuadir in the present tense is persuaden.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ a María con argumentos.” (Yesterday I persuaded María with arguments.)
- (a) persuadiste
- (b) persuadió
- (c) persuadí
Answer: persuadí — In the preterite, the yo form of persuadir is persuadí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ a su padre de viajar.” (Before, he used to persuade his father to travel.)
- (a) persuadía
- (b) persuado
- (c) persuadías
Answer: persuadía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of persuadir is persuadía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ al jefe con datos.” (Tomorrow we will persuade the boss with data.)
- (a) persuadirás
- (b) persuadiremos
- (c) persuadiré
Answer: persuadiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of persuadir is persuadiremos.
6. What does persuadir mean in English?
- (a) to persuade
- (b) to persist
- (c) to convince
Answer: to persuade — Persuadir means “to persuade”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo persuade a María con argumentos.
- (b) Ellos persuade a su padre de viajar.
- (c) Yo persuado a María con argumentos.
Answer: Yo persuado a María con argumentos. — “Yo persuado a María con argumentos.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I persuade María with arguments.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre persuade a los niños de estudiar.
- (b) Persuado a María con argumentos.
- (c) Persuaden a María con argumentos.
Answer: Persuado a María con argumentos. — “Persuado a María con argumentos.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of persuadir in the present tense?
- (a) persuado
- (b) persuades
- (c) persuadimos
Answer: persuadimos — The nosotros form is persuadimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros persuadiremos al jefe con datos.
- (b) Persuado a María con argumentos.
- (c) Ayer, yo persuadí a María con argumentos.
Answer: Persuado a María con argumentos. — “Persuado a María con argumentos.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I persuade María with arguments' in Spanish?
Say 'Persuado a María con argumentos'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Persuado a María con argumentos todos los días'.
How do you say 'He persuades his father to travel' in Spanish?
Say 'Él persuade a su padre de viajar'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes persuade.
What is the difference between persuadir and convencer?
Persuadir means to persuade, while convencer means to convince. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use persuadir when you mean to persuade, as in 'Persuado a María con argumentos', and use convencer for to convince.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of persuadir — every tense of persuadir in one place.
- Persuadir 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 persuadir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of persuadir until they are automatic.