Introduction

reclamar means “to claim, to demand”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to claim, to demand” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows reclamar 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 form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo reclamo el dinero por la mañana.” — “I claim the money.”

reclamar in real example sentences

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

  1. “Yo reclamo el dinero cada día.” — “I claim the money.”
  2. “Tú reclamas el dinero cada día.” — “you claim the money.”
  3. “Él reclama el dinero siempre.” — “He claims the money.”
  4. “Nosotros reclamamos el dinero todos los días.” — “We claim the money.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “Yo reclamé el dinero ayer.” — “I claimed the money.” (preterite) 6. “Él reclamó el dinero ayer.” — “He claimed the money.” (preterite) 7. “Yo reclamaba el dinero cuando era joven.” — “I used to claim the money.” (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 {verb} stays the same. 8. “Nosotros reclamaremos el dinero mañana.” — “We will claim the money.” (future) 9. “Tú has reclamado el dinero hoy.” — “you have claimed the money.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo reclame el dinero.” — “I hope that I claim the money.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “Vosotros reclamáis el dinero cada semana.” — “You claim the money.” 12. “Ellos reclaman el dinero normalmente.” — “They claim the money.”

reclamar 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 reclamar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue in a café

Sofía: “¿Tú reclamas el dinero?” — Do you claim the money?

Diego: “Sí, yo reclamo el dinero cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I claim the money every day. It is part of my routine.

Sofía: “¿Y ayer? ¿También reclamas el dinero?” — And yesterday? Did you claim the money too?

Diego: “Sí, ayer yo reclamé el dinero. Mañana nosotros reclamaremos el dinero otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I claimed the money. Tomorrow we will claim the money again.

A short paragraph

Él reclama el dinero cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how reclamar works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo reclamo el dinero — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make reclamar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is reclamé, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reclame — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of reclamar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For reclamar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: reclamamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he reclamado el dinero. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reclamado is not the present perfect of reclamar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reclamar with recuperar

reclamar and recuperar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of reclamar — claim — the sentence needs reclamar; if it needs the meaning of recuperar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reclame el dinero. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reclamo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reclamar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of reclamar in the present?

  • A. reclamas
  • B. reclama
  • C. reclamamos
  • D. reclamo

2. What is the tu form of reclamar in the preterite?

  • A. reclamamos
  • B. reclamaste
  • C. reclamé
  • D. reclamó

3. What is the el form of reclamar in the imperfect?

  • A. reclamabas
  • B. reclamábamos
  • C. reclamabais
  • D. reclamaba

4. What is the nosotros form of reclamar in the future?

  • A. reclamará
  • B. reclamaremos
  • C. reclamaré
  • D. reclamarás

5. What is the vosotros form of reclamar in the present perfect?

  • A. he reclamado
  • B. has reclamado
  • C. ha reclamado
  • D. habéis reclamado

6. What is the ellos form of reclamar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. reclame
  • B. reclamen
  • C. reclame
  • D. reclames

7. What is the yo form of reclamar in the preterite?

  • A. reclamaste
  • B. reclamó
  • C. reclamamos
  • D. reclamé

8. What is the tu form of reclamar in the imperfect?

  • A. reclamábamos
  • B. reclamabas
  • C. reclamaba
  • D. reclamaba

9. What is the el form of reclamar in the future?

  • A. reclamaré
  • B. reclamarás
  • C. reclamaremos
  • D. reclamará

10. What is the nosotros form of reclamar in the conditional?

  • A. reclamaría
  • B. reclamaríamos
  • C. reclamaría
  • D. reclamarías

Answer key

  1. reclamo — The present table gives yo = reclamo.
  2. reclamaste — The preterite table gives tu = reclamaste.
  3. reclamaba — The imperfect table gives el = reclamaba.
  4. reclamaremos — The future table gives nosotros = reclamaremos.
  5. habéis reclamado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis reclamado.
  6. reclamen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = reclamen.
  7. reclamé — The preterite table gives yo = reclamé.
  8. reclamabas — The imperfect table gives tu = reclamabas.
  9. reclamará — The future table gives el = reclamará.
  10. reclamaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = reclamaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use reclamar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo reclamo el dinero.” — “I claim the money.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of reclamar to learn first?

Learn the present yo form reclamo first, then the preterite yo form reclamé and the participle reclamado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund reclamando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is reclamar reflexive?

No — reclamar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo reclamo el dinero. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of reclamar?

On the main conjugation page for reclamar, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links