Introduction
Redimir means “to redeem”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Redimir means to redeem, and it is used for redeeming a promise, a debt, a coupon and, in religion, a soul: redimir una deuda, redimir un pecado. It is a regular -ir verb, common in finance, law and religion. This page shows redimir 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: “Redimo una deuda antigua.” — I redeem an old debt.
Redimir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how redimir 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 redimir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Redimo una deuda antigua.” — I redeem an old debt.
“¿Redimes un cupón en la tienda?” — Do you redeem a coupon in the shop?
“Redime una promesa de hace años.” — He/she redeems a promise from years ago.
“Nosotros redimimos los pecados en la iglesia.” — We redeem sins in church.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show redimir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo redimí una deuda antigua.” — Yesterday, I redeemed an old debt. (preterite)
“Antes, él redimía un cupón en la tienda.” — Before, he used to redeem a coupon in the shop. (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 redimir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros redimiremos una promesa de hace años.” — Tomorrow, we will redeem a promise from years ago. (future)
“¿Tú has redimido los pecados en la iglesia?” — Have you redeemed sins in church? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros redimís una deuda antigua.” — You redeem an old debt.
“Ellos redimen un cupón en la tienda.” — They redeem a coupon in the shop.
“Yo redimo una promesa de hace años.” — I redeem a promise from years ago.
“Mi padre redime los pecados en la iglesia.” — My father redeems sins in church.
Redimir 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 redimir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú redimes un cupón en la tienda?” — Do you redeem a coupon in the shop?
Pedro: “Sí, yo redimo una deuda antigua.” — Yes, I redeem an old debt.
Marta: “Nosotros redimimos los pecados en la iglesia.” — We redeem sins in church.
Pedro: “Y ellos redimen un cupón en la tienda.” — And they redeem a coupon in the shop.
Marta: “Vosotros redimís una promesa de hace años.” — You redeem a promise from years ago.
Pedro: “Sí, y él redime una deuda antigua.” — Yes, and he redeems an old debt.
A short paragraph
Redime una deuda antigua, y nosotros redimimos los pecados en la iglesia. Yo redimo un cupón en la tienda, y ellos redimen una promesa de hace años. Redimir is part of everyday life, because redeem is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with redimir
These are the errors learners actually make with redimir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo redime una deuda antigua.” Right: “Yo redimo una deuda antigua.” Why: The person matters: redime is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is redimo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo redimo un cupón en la tienda.” Right: “Ayer yo redimí un cupón en la tienda.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: redimo is happening now, while redimí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating redimir and rescatar as identical in every context.” Right: “Redimir means to redeem, while rescatar means to rescue.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: redimir fits sentences such as Redimo una deuda antigua, while rescatar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy redimido un cupón en la tienda.” Right: “Yo he redimido un cupón en la tienda.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he redimido, has redimido, ha redimido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo redimí una promesa de hace años todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo redimía una promesa de hace años todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (redimía), not the preterite. The preterite (redimí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: redimir in use
Ten questions on redimir 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 deuda antigua.” (You redeem an old debt.)
- (a) redimís
- (b) redimo
- (c) redimes
Answer: redimís — The vosotros/as form of redimir in the present tense is redimís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un cupón en la tienda.” (They redeem a coupon in the shop.)
- (a) redimes
- (b) redimen
- (c) redimo
Answer: redimen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of redimir in the present tense is redimen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ una deuda antigua.” (Yesterday I redeemed an old debt.)
- (a) redimiste
- (b) redimió
- (c) redimí
Answer: redimí — In the preterite, the yo form of redimir is redimí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ un cupón en la tienda.” (Before, he used to redeem a coupon in the shop.)
- (a) redimía
- (b) redimo
- (c) redimías
Answer: redimía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of redimir is redimía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una promesa de hace años.” (Tomorrow we will redeem a promise from years ago.)
- (a) redimirás
- (b) redimiremos
- (c) redimiré
Answer: redimiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of redimir is redimiremos.
6. What does redimir mean in English?
- (a) to redeem
- (b) to persuade
- (c) to rescue
Answer: to redeem — Redimir means “to redeem”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo redime una deuda antigua.
- (b) Ellos redime un cupón en la tienda.
- (c) Yo redimo una deuda antigua.
Answer: Yo redimo una deuda antigua. — “Yo redimo una deuda antigua.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I redeem an old debt.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre redime los pecados en la iglesia.
- (b) Redimo una deuda antigua.
- (c) Redimen una deuda antigua.
Answer: Redimo una deuda antigua. — “Redimo una deuda antigua.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of redimir in the present tense?
- (a) redimo
- (b) redimes
- (c) redimimos
Answer: redimimos — The nosotros form is redimimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros redimiremos una promesa de hace años.
- (b) Redimo una deuda antigua.
- (c) Ayer, yo redimí una deuda antigua.
Answer: Redimo una deuda antigua. — “Redimo una deuda antigua.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I redeem an old debt' in Spanish?
Say 'Redimo una deuda antigua'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Redimo una deuda antigua todos los días'.
How do you say 'He redeems a coupon in the shop' in Spanish?
Say 'Él redime un cupón en la tienda'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes redime.
What is the difference between redimir and rescatar?
Redimir means to redeem, while rescatar means to rescue. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use redimir when you mean to redeem, as in 'Redimo una deuda antigua', and use rescatar for to rescue.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of redimir — every tense of redimir in one place.
- Redimir 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 redimir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of redimir until they are automatic.