Prometer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

prometer means "to promise" in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Prometer means "to promise", and it is the verb for every commitment — a promise to a friend, a promise to a child, a politician's promise, a promise to yourself. It usually takes an indirect object for the person promised (te prometo, I promise you) and an infinitive or a que-clause for what is promised. It is a regular -er verb, and its present tense is the language of commitments being made right now. A useful note: lo prometo means "I promise", and te lo prometo (I promise you) is one of the most common phrases in the language. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by meaning, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of prometer; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the prometer present tense page.

prometer in everyday use: examples with translations

Promising someone

  1. Yo te prometo que vendré mañana. — "I promise you that I will come tomorrow."
  2. Tú prometes ayudarme con los deberes. — "You promise to help me with my homework."
  3. Ayer yo te prometí que vendría. — "Yesterday I promised you I would come."
  4. Mi padre siempre me prometía una sorpresa. — "My father always used to promise me a surprise."

Promises at work and in politics

  1. El jefe promete un aumento de sueldo. — "The boss promises a pay rise."
  2. Los políticos prometen muchas cosas. — "The politicians promise many things."
  3. Yo te prometeré que no pasará otra vez. — "I will promise you it won't happen again."
  4. Yo he prometido ayudarte y lo haré. — "I have promised to help you and I will."

Promising little, delivering a lot

  1. Nosotros prometemos poco y cumplimos mucho. — "We promise little and deliver a lot."
  2. Mi padre promete una sorpresa. — "My father promises a surprise."
  3. Yo te prometería el cielo si pudiera. — "I would promise you the sky if I could."
  4. Vosotros prometéis portaros bien. — "You promise to behave well."

prometer in conversation

Two short dialogues that use prometer the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

A father promises his daughter a surprise.

  • Padre: Mi padre promete una sorpresa. — "My father promises a surprise."
  • Hija: Yo te prometo que no llegaré tarde. — "I promise you I won't be late."
  • Padre: ¿Tú prometes ayudarme con los deberes? — "Do you promise to help me with my homework?"
  • Hija: Yo te prometería el cielo si pudiera. — "I would promise you the sky if I could."

At work, the boss makes a promise.

  • Jefe: El jefe promete un aumento de sueldo. — "The boss promises a pay rise."
  • Empleado: Nosotros prometemos poco y cumplimos mucho. — "We promise little and deliver a lot."
  • Jefe: Ellos prometen un regalo a los niños. — "They promise a present to the children."
  • Empleado: Yo he prometido ayudarte y lo haré. — "I have promised to help you and I will."

Common mistakes with prometer

The errors learners actually make with prometer, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ *Yo prometo a que vendré mañana.

✓ Correct: Yo te prometo que vendré mañana.

After prometer, que follows directly: prometer que vendré. Never put a before que.

✗ *Yo prometo ti que vendré (using ti instead of te).

✓ Correct: Yo te prometo que vendré mañana.

The person promised is an indirect object pronoun: te prometo, not prometo ti.

✗ *Tú prometes a ayudarme.

✓ Correct: Tú prometes ayudarme con los deberes.

Prometer + infinitive takes no preposition: prometer ayudar, not prometer a ayudar.

✗ *Vosotros prometéis portaros bien (written without the accent: prometeis).

✓ Correct: Vosotros prometéis portaros bien.

Prometéis needs the written accent on the é.

Quiz: prometer in use

Ten questions on prometer — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Yo te ______ que vendré mañana. — "I promise you that I will come tomorrow."

  • a) promete
  • b) prometo
  • c) prometes
  • d) prometí

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer yo te ______ que vendría. — "Yesterday I promised you I would come."

  • a) prometí
  • b) prometiste
  • c) prometió
  • d) prometo

3. Complete the sentence: Los políticos ______ muchas cosas. — "The politicians promise many things."

  • a) prometo
  • b) prometes
  • c) prometieron
  • d) prometen

4. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ poco y cumplimos mucho. — "We promise little and deliver a lot."

  • a) prometo
  • b) prometemos
  • c) prometimos
  • d) prometes

5. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for yo?

  • a) prometo
  • b) promete
  • c) prometemos
  • d) prometes

6. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for tú?

  • a) prometes
  • b) promete
  • c) prometemos
  • d) prometo

7. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for ellos/ellas/Uds.?

  • a) promete
  • b) prometen
  • c) prometo
  • d) prometes

8. Which sentence uses prometer correctly?

  • a) Nosotros promete ayudarte siempre.
  • b) Nosotros prometimos ayudarte siempre.
  • c) Nosotros prometíamos ayudarte siempre.
  • d) Nosotros prometemos ayudarte siempre.

9. What is the past participle of prometer?

  • a) prometido
  • b) prometió
  • c) prometo
  • d) prometiendo

10. What does prometer mean in English?

  • a) to have
  • b) to go
  • c) to fulfil
  • d) to promise

Answer key

  1. b) prometo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: prometo.

  2. a) prometí — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: prometí.

  3. d) prometen — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the present: prometen.

  4. b) prometemos — The sentence needs the nosotros/as form in the present: prometemos.

  5. a) prometo — The present tense form for yo is prometo.

  6. a) prometes — The present tense form for tú is prometes.

  7. b) prometen — The present tense form for ellos/ellas/Uds. is prometen.

  8. d) Nosotros prometemos ayudarte siempre. — Nosotros prometemos ayudarte siempre. is correct. The other sentences use the wrong person, the wrong tense, or the wrong pattern for this verb.

  9. a) prometido — The past participle is prometido. You need it for every perfect tense with haber: he prometido, has prometido, ha prometido.

  10. d) to promise — prometer means "to promise".

Frequently asked questions

How do I use prometer in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as te lo prometo and prometer ayuda. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between prometer and cumplir?

prometer means "to promise", while cumplir means "to fulfil". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use prometer when you mean "to promise" and cumplir when you mean "to fulfil".

Which tense do I need most with prometer?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use prometer most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is prometer formal or informal?

prometer is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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