Profundizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
profundizar means "to deepen" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see profundizar with the exam topic, the history of Spain, his knowledge of English and the relationship with his son — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo profundizo en el tema del examen. — "Every day, I deepen in the exam topic." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
profundizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with profundizar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo profundizo en el tema del examen. — "Every day, I deepen in the exam topic." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo profundicé en la historia de España. — "Yesterday, I deepened in the history of Spain." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo profundizaba en su conocimiento del inglés. — "In the past, I used to deepen in his knowledge of English." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros profundizaremos en la relación con su hijo. — "Tomorrow, we will deepen in the relationship with his son." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú profundizarías en el tema del examen. — "If you could, you would deepen in the exam topic." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he profundizado en la historia de España. — "I have deepened in the history of Spain." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él profundiza en su conocimiento del inglés. — "Normally, he/she deepens in his knowledge of English." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él profundizó en la relación con su hijo. — "Yesterday, he/she deepened in the relationship with his son." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros profundizábamos en el tema del examen. — "In the past, we used to deepen in the exam topic." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo profundizaré en la historia de España. — "Tomorrow, I will deepen in the history of Spain." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él profundice en su conocimiento del inglés. — "I hope that he/she deepens in his knowledge of English." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Profundiza en la relación con su hijo! — "Deepen in the relationship with his son!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using profundizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the exam topic, the history of Spain, his knowledge of English and the relationship with his son.
Dialogue 1: talking about the exam topic
Lucía: ¿Tú profundizas en el tema del examen? — "Do you deepen in the exam topic?" Pedro: Sí, yo profundizo en el tema del examen. — "I deepen in the exam topic." Lucía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Pedro: Ayer, yo profundicé en la historia de España. — "Yesterday, I deepened in the history of Spain." Lucía: Mañana, nosotros profundizaremos en su conocimiento del inglés. — "Tomorrow, we will deepen in his knowledge of English." Pedro: Si pudiera, yo profundizaría en la relación con su hijo. — "If I could, I would deepen in the relationship with his son." Lucía: Antes, yo profundizaba en la historia de España. — "In the past, I used to deepen in the history of Spain." Pedro: Yo he profundizado en el tema del examen. — "I have deepened in the exam topic." Lucía: ¡Profundiza en su conocimiento del inglés! — "Deepen in his knowledge of English!"
In this dialogue profundizar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about his knowledge of English
Lucía: Él profundiza en su conocimiento del inglés. — "he/she deepens in his knowledge of English." Pedro: ¿De verdad? ¿Él profundiza en su conocimiento del inglés todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she deepens in his knowledge of English every day?" Lucía: Sí, y ellos profundizan en la relación con su hijo. — "they deepen in the relationship with his son." Pedro: Ayer, ellos profundizaron en su conocimiento del inglés. — "Yesterday, they deepened in his knowledge of English." Lucía: Espero que él profundice en la relación con su hijo. — "I hope that he/she deepens in the relationship with his son." Pedro: Mañana, él profundizará en su conocimiento del inglés. — "Tomorrow, he/she will deepen in his knowledge of English." Lucía: Antes, nosotros profundizábamos en la relación con su hijo. — "In the past, we used to deepen in the relationship with his son." Pedro: Nosotros profundizamos en el tema del examen también. — "we deepen in the exam topic too."
This dialogue shows profundizar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with profundizar
The errors learners actually make with profundizar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me profundizo en el tema del examen.
- Right: Yo profundizo en el tema del examen.
- Why: profundizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo profundizo en el tema del examen. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo profundizar en el tema del examen.
- Right: Yo profundizo en el tema del examen.
- Why: The infinitive profundizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form profundizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo profundizo en la historia de España.
- Right: Ayer, yo profundicé en la historia de España.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo profundicé en la historia de España. — "Yesterday, I deepened in the history of Spain."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy profundizado en su conocimiento del inglés.
- Right: Estoy profundizando en su conocimiento del inglés.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund profundizando for the progressive. The participle profundizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he profundizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros profundiza en el tema del examen.
- Right: Nosotros profundizamos en el tema del examen.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes profundizamos, while profundiza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: profundizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on profundizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of profundizar in the present tense?
- (a) profundizamos
- (b) profundizo
- (c) profundizas
- (d) profundiza
Answer: (b) profundizo. The yo form is profundizo.
2. What is the tú form of profundizar in the present tense?
- (a) profundizas
- (b) profundizo
- (c) profundiza
- (d) profundizamos
Answer: (a) profundizas. The tú form is profundizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of profundizar in the present tense?
- (a) profundizo
- (b) profundizas
- (c) profundizamos
- (d) profundiza
Answer: (d) profundiza. The él/ella form is profundiza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ en el tema del examen.
- (a) profundiza
- (b) profundizamos
- (c) profundizo
- (d) profundizas
Answer: (c) profundizo. The sentence needs the yo form profundizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ en la historia de España.
- (a) profundizamos
- (b) profundicé
- (c) profundizaste
- (d) profundizó
Answer: (b) profundicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is profundicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ en su conocimiento del inglés.
- (a) profundizaba
- (b) profundizabas
- (c) profundizábamos
- (d) profundizabais
Answer: (a) profundizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is profundizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ en la relación con su hijo.
- (a) profundizarás
- (b) profundizará
- (c) profundizaremos
- (d) profundizaré
Answer: (d) profundizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is profundizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el tema del examen.
- (a) has profundizado
- (b) ha profundizado
- (c) hemos profundizado
- (d) he profundizado
Answer: (d) he profundizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he profundizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en su conocimiento del inglés.
- (a) profundicéis
- (b) profundice
- (c) profundices
- (d) profundicemos
Answer: (b) profundice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is profundice.
10. What does profundizar mean in English?
- (a) to soften
- (b) to deepen
- (c) to pounce, to rush at
- (d) to stock up
Answer: (b) to deepen. profundizar means "to deepen" in English.
Frequently asked questions about profundizar
What does profundizar mean?
profundizar means "to deepen" in English. Use it when you talk about the exam topic, the history of Spain, his knowledge of English and the relationship with his son — for example: Cada día, yo profundizo en el tema del examen. — "Every day, I deepen in the exam topic."
Is there a reflexive form of profundizar?
No. profundizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo profundizo en el tema del examen. — "Every day, I deepen in the exam topic."
What is the most common mistake with profundizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is profundicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example profundice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise profundizar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.