Introduction

Pretender means “to intend, to claim”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Pretender means to intend or to claim, and it is a false friend for English speakers: it does not mean to pretend. Pretendo viajar means I intend to travel, and pretende ser médico means he claims to be a doctor. It takes an infinitive. This page shows pretender 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: “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.

Pretender in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how pretender 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 pretender in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.

  2. “¿Pretendes ser médico algún día?” — Do you intend to be a doctor one day?

  3. “Pretende comprar una casa nueva.” — He/she intends to buy a new house.

  4. “Nosotros pretendemos estudiar en el extranjero.” — We intend to study abroad.

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show pretender in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.

  1. “Ayer, yo pretendí viajar a México en verano.” — Yesterday, I intended to travel to Mexico in summer. (preterite)

  2. “Antes, él pretendía ser médico algún día.” — Before, he used to intend to be a doctor one day. (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 pretender stays the same.

  1. “Mañana, nosotros pretenderemos comprar una casa nueva.” — Tomorrow, we will intend to buy a new house. (future)

  2. “¿Tú has pretendido estudiar en el extranjero?” — Have you intended to study abroad? (present perfect)

More everyday uses

Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.

  1. “Vosotros pretendéis viajar a México en verano.” — You intend to travel to Mexico in summer.

  2. “Ellos pretenden ser médico algún día.” — They intend to be a doctor one day.

  3. “Yo pretendo comprar una casa nueva.” — I intend to buy a new house.

  4. “Mi padre pretende estudiar en el extranjero.” — My father intends to study abroad.

Pretender 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 pretender appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

A short dialogue

  • Marta: “¿Tú pretendes ser médico algún día?” — Do you intend to be a doctor one day?

  • Pedro: “Sí, yo pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — Yes, I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.

  • Marta: “Nosotros pretendemos estudiar en el extranjero.” — We intend to study abroad.

  • Pedro: “Y ellos pretenden ser médico algún día.” — And they intend to be a doctor one day.

  • Marta: “Vosotros pretendéis comprar una casa nueva.” — You intend to buy a new house.

  • Pedro: “Sí, y él pretende viajar a México en verano.” — Yes, and he intends to travel to Mexico in summer.

A short paragraph

Pretende viajar a México en verano, y nosotros pretendemos estudiar en el extranjero. Yo pretendo ser médico algún día, y ellos pretenden comprar una casa nueva. Pretender is part of everyday life, because intend, to claim is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.

Common mistakes with pretender

These are the errors learners actually make with pretender. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Yo pretende viajar a México en verano.” Right: “Yo pretendo viajar a México en verano.” Why: The person matters: pretende is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is pretendo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

  • Wrong: “Ayer yo pretendo ser médico algún día.” Right: “Ayer yo pretendí ser médico algún día.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: pretendo is happening now, while pretendí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

  • Wrong: “Treating pretender and fingir as identical in every context.” Right: “Pretender means to intend, to claim, while fingir means to pretend.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: pretender fits sentences such as Pretendo viajar a México en verano, while fingir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

  • Wrong: “Yo soy pretendido ser médico algún día.” Right: “Yo he pretendido ser médico algún día.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pretendido, has pretendido, ha pretendido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

  • Wrong: “De niño, yo pretendí comprar una casa nueva todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo pretendía comprar una casa nueva todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (pretendía), not the preterite. The preterite (pretendí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: pretender in use

Ten questions on pretender in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ viajar a México en verano.” (You intend to travel to Mexico in summer.)

  • (a) pretendéis
  • (b) pretendo
  • (c) pretendes

Answer: pretendéis — The vosotros/as form of pretender in the present tense is pretendéis.

2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ ser médico algún día.” (They intend to be a doctor one day.)

  • (a) pretendes
  • (b) pretenden
  • (c) pretendo

Answer: pretenden — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of pretender in the present tense is pretenden.

3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ viajar a México en verano.” (Yesterday I intended to travel to Mexico in summer.)

  • (a) pretendiste
  • (b) pretendió
  • (c) pretendí

Answer: pretendí — In the preterite, the yo form of pretender is pretendí.

4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ ser médico algún día.” (Before, he used to intend to be a doctor one day.)

  • (a) pretendía
  • (b) pretendo
  • (c) pretendías

Answer: pretendía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of pretender is pretendía.

5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ comprar una casa nueva.” (Tomorrow we will intend to buy a new house.)

  • (a) pretenderás
  • (b) pretenderemos
  • (c) pretenderé

Answer: pretenderemos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of pretender is pretenderemos.

6. What does pretender mean in English?

  • (a) to intend, to claim
  • (b) to proceed
  • (c) to pretend

Answer: to intend, to claim — Pretender means “to intend, to claim”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • (a) Yo pretende viajar a México en verano.
  • (b) Ellos pretende ser médico algún día.
  • (c) Yo pretendo viajar a México en verano.

Answer: Yo pretendo viajar a México en verano. — “Yo pretendo viajar a México en verano.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.

8. How do you say “I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.” in Spanish?

  • (a) Mi padre pretende estudiar en el extranjero.
  • (b) Pretendo viajar a México en verano.
  • (c) Pretenden viajar a México en verano.

Answer: Pretendo viajar a México en verano. — “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” is the correct translation.

9. What is the nosotros form of pretender in the present tense?

  • (a) pretendo
  • (b) pretendes
  • (c) pretendemos

Answer: pretendemos — The nosotros form is pretendemos.

10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?

  • (a) Mañana, nosotros pretenderemos comprar una casa nueva.
  • (b) Pretendo viajar a México en verano.
  • (c) Ayer, yo pretendí viajar a México en verano.

Answer: Pretendo viajar a México en verano. — “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I intend to travel to Mexico in summer' in Spanish?

Say 'Pretendo viajar a México en verano'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Pretendo viajar a México en verano todos los días'.

How do you say 'He intends to be a doctor one day' in Spanish?

Say 'Él pretende ser médico algún día'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes pretende.

What is the difference between pretender and fingir?

Pretender means to intend, to claim, while fingir means to pretend. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use pretender when you mean to intend, to claim, as in 'Pretendo viajar a México en verano', and use fingir for to pretend.

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