Introduction

reprochar means “to reproach”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to reproach” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows reprochar 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 reprocho el error por la mañana.” — “I reproach the mistake.”

reprochar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how reprochar 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 reprocho el error cada día.” — “I reproach the mistake.”
  2. “Tú reprochas el error cada día.” — “you reproach the mistake.”
  3. “Él reprocha el error siempre.” — “He reproaches the mistake.”
  4. “Nosotros reprochamos el error todos los días.” — “We reproach the mistake.”

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 reproché el error ayer.” — “I reproached the mistake.” (preterite) 6. “Él reprochó el error ayer.” — “He reproached the mistake.” (preterite) 7. “Yo reprochaba el error cuando era joven.” — “I used to reproach the mistake.” (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 reprocharemos el error mañana.” — “We will reproach the mistake.” (future) 9. “Tú has reprochado el error hoy.” — “you have reproached the mistake.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo reproche el error.” — “I hope that I reproach the mistake.” (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 reprocháis el error cada semana.” — “You reproach the mistake.” 12. “Ellos reprochan el error normalmente.” — “They reproach the mistake.”

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

Dialogue at home in the evening

Ana: “¿Tú reprochas el error?” — Do you reproach the mistake?

Luis: “Sí, yo reprocho el error cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I reproach the mistake every day. It is part of my routine.

Ana: “¿Y ayer? ¿También reprochas el error?” — And yesterday? Did you reproach the mistake too?

Luis: “Sí, ayer yo reproché el error. Mañana nosotros reprocharemos el error otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I reproached the mistake. Tomorrow we will reproach the mistake again.

A short paragraph

Él reprocha el error cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how reprochar 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 reprocho el error — 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 reprochar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is reproché, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reproche — 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 reprochar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For reprochar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: reprochamos. 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 reprochado el error. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reprochado is not the present perfect of reprochar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reprochar with representar

reprochar and representar 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 reprochar — reproach — the sentence needs reprochar; if it needs the meaning of representar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reproche el error. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reprocho — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reprochar. 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 reprochar in the present?

  • A. reprochas
  • B. reprocha
  • C. reprochamos
  • D. reprocho

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

  • A. reprochamos
  • B. reprochaste
  • C. reproché
  • D. reprochó

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

  • A. reprochabas
  • B. reprochábamos
  • C. reprochabais
  • D. reprochaba

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

  • A. reprochará
  • B. reprocharemos
  • C. reprocharé
  • D. reprocharás

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

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

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

  • A. reproche
  • B. reprochen
  • C. reproche
  • D. reproches

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

  • A. reprochaste
  • B. reprochó
  • C. reprochamos
  • D. reproché

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

  • A. reprochábamos
  • B. reprochabas
  • C. reprochaba
  • D. reprochaba

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

  • A. reprocharé
  • B. reprocharás
  • C. reprocharemos
  • D. reprochará

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

  • A. reprocharía
  • B. reprocharíamos
  • C. reprocharía
  • D. reprocharías

Answer key

  1. reprocho — The present table gives yo = reprocho.
  2. reprochaste — The preterite table gives tu = reprochaste.
  3. reprochaba — The imperfect table gives el = reprochaba.
  4. reprocharemos — The future table gives nosotros = reprocharemos.
  5. habéis reprochado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis reprochado.
  6. reprochen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = reprochen.
  7. reproché — The preterite table gives yo = reproché.
  8. reprochabas — The imperfect table gives tu = reprochabas.
  9. reprochará — The future table gives el = reprochará.
  10. reprocharíamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = reprocharíamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use reprochar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo reprocho el error.” — “I reproach the mistake.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

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

Learn the present yo form reprocho first, then the preterite yo form reproché and the participle reprochado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund reprochando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is reprochar reflexive?

No — reprochar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo reprocho el error. 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 reprochar?

On the main conjugation page for reprochar, 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