Introduction
Propagar means “to spread, to propagate”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Propagar means to spread or to propagate, and it covers spreading news, a disease, a rumour and a plant: propagar una noticia, propagar una enfermedad. It is a spelling-change verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite is propagué and the subjunctive propague. This page shows propagar 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: “Propago una noticia por el pueblo.” — I spread news through the village.
Propagar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how propagar 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 propagar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Propago una noticia por el pueblo.” — I spread news through the village.
“¿Propagas una enfermedad en invierno?” — Do you spread a disease in winter?
“Propaga un rumor en la oficina.” — He/she spreads a rumour in the office.
“Nosotros propagamos plantas en el jardín.” — We spread plants in the garden.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show propagar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo propagué una noticia por el pueblo.” — Yesterday, I spread news through the village. (preterite)
“Antes, él propagaba una enfermedad en invierno.” — Before, he used to spread a disease in winter. (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 propagar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros propagaremos un rumor en la oficina.” — Tomorrow, we will spread a rumour in the office. (future)
“¿Tú has propagado plantas en el jardín?” — Have you spread plants in the garden? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros propagáis una noticia por el pueblo.” — You spread news through the village.
“Ellos propagan una enfermedad en invierno.” — They spread a disease in winter.
“Yo propago un rumor en la oficina.” — I spread a rumour in the office.
“Mi padre propaga plantas en el jardín.” — My father spreads plants in the garden.
Propagar 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 propagar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú propagas una enfermedad en invierno?” — Do you spread a disease in winter?
Pedro: “Sí, yo propago una noticia por el pueblo.” — Yes, I spread news through the village.
Marta: “Nosotros propagamos plantas en el jardín.” — We spread plants in the garden.
Pedro: “Y ellos propagan una enfermedad en invierno.” — And they spread a disease in winter.
Marta: “Vosotros propagáis un rumor en la oficina.” — You spread a rumour in the office.
Pedro: “Sí, y él propaga una noticia por el pueblo.” — Yes, and he spreads news through the village.
A short paragraph
Propaga una noticia por el pueblo, y nosotros propagamos plantas en el jardín. Yo propago una enfermedad en invierno, y ellos propagan un rumor en la oficina. Propagar is part of everyday life, because spread, to propagate is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with propagar
These are the errors learners actually make with propagar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo propaga una noticia por el pueblo.” Right: “Yo propago una noticia por el pueblo.” Why: The person matters: propaga is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is propago. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Espero que yo propage una noticia por el pueblo.” Right: “Espero que yo propague una noticia por el pueblo.” Why: Spelling change: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is propagué and the present subjunctive is propague, so the present subjunctive is propague, never propage.
Wrong: “Treating propagar and difundir as identical in every context.” Right: “Propagar means to spread, to propagate, while difundir means to spread, to broadcast.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: propagar fits sentences such as Propago una noticia por el pueblo, while difundir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy propagado una enfermedad en invierno.” Right: “Yo he propagado una enfermedad en invierno.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he propagado, has propagado, ha propagado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo propagué un rumor en la oficina todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo propagaba un rumor en la oficina todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (propagaba), not the preterite. The preterite (propagué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: propagar in use
Ten questions on propagar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ una noticia por el pueblo.” (You spread news through the village.)
- (a) propagáis
- (b) propago
- (c) propagas
Answer: propagáis — The vosotros/as form of propagar in the present tense is propagáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ una enfermedad en invierno.” (They spread a disease in winter.)
- (a) propagas
- (b) propagan
- (c) propago
Answer: propagan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of propagar in the present tense is propagan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ una noticia por el pueblo.” (Yesterday I spread news through the village.)
- (a) propagaste
- (b) propagó
- (c) propagué
Answer: propagué — In the preterite, the yo form of propagar is propagué.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ una enfermedad en invierno.” (Before, he used to spread a disease in winter.)
- (a) propagaba
- (b) propago
- (c) propagabas
Answer: propagaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of propagar is propagaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ un rumor en la oficina.” (Tomorrow we will spread a rumour in the office.)
- (a) propagarás
- (b) propagaremos
- (c) propagaré
Answer: propagaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of propagar is propagaremos.
6. What does propagar mean in English?
- (a) to spread, to propagate
- (b) to forecast
- (c) to spread, to broadcast
Answer: to spread, to propagate — Propagar means “to spread, to propagate”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo propaga una noticia por el pueblo.
- (b) Ellos propaga una enfermedad en invierno.
- (c) Yo propago una noticia por el pueblo.
Answer: Yo propago una noticia por el pueblo. — “Yo propago una noticia por el pueblo.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I spread news through the village.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre propaga plantas en el jardín.
- (b) Propago una noticia por el pueblo.
- (c) Propagan una noticia por el pueblo.
Answer: Propago una noticia por el pueblo. — “Propago una noticia por el pueblo.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of propagar in the present tense?
- (a) propago
- (b) propagas
- (c) propagamos
Answer: propagamos — The nosotros form is propagamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros propagaremos un rumor en la oficina.
- (b) Propago una noticia por el pueblo.
- (c) Ayer, yo propagué una noticia por el pueblo.
Answer: Propago una noticia por el pueblo. — “Propago una noticia por el pueblo.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I spread news through the village' in Spanish?
Say 'Propago una noticia por el pueblo'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Propago una noticia por el pueblo todos los días'.
How do you say 'He spreads a disease in winter' in Spanish?
Say 'Él propaga una enfermedad en invierno'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes propaga.
What is the difference between propagar and difundir?
Propagar means to spread, to propagate, while difundir means to spread, to broadcast. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use propagar when you mean to spread, to propagate, as in 'Propago una noticia por el pueblo', and use difundir for to spread, to broadcast.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of propagar — every tense of propagar in one place.
- Propagar 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 propagar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of propagar until they are automatic.