Introduction
Responder means “to answer, to respond”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Responder is the verb for answering a question. It is followed by a for the person, or by nothing when the answer itself follows. Responder al teléfono or responder a un mensaje means to answer the phone or a message. The a marks what you answer. This page shows responder 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: “Yo respondo al profesor.” — I answer the teacher.
Responder in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how responder 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 responder in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo respondo al profesor.” — I answer the teacher.
“¿Tú respondes al teléfono?” — Do you answer the phone?
“Mi hermano responde al teléfono.” — My brother answers the phone.
“Nosotros respondemos a todos los correos.” — We answer all the emails.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show responder in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo respondí a todos los correos.” — Yesterday I answered all the emails. (preterite)
“Mi hermano respondía al teléfono siempre.” — My brother always used to answer the phone. (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 responder stays the same.
“Nosotros responderemos a las preguntas mañana.” — We will answer the questions tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has respondido ya al correo?” — Have you answered the email yet? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros respondéis rápido.” — You answer quickly.
“Ellos responden a las preguntas.” — They answer the questions.
“Yo respondo con sinceridad.” — I answer honestly.
“El estudiante responde bien en el examen.” — The student answers well in the exam.
Responder 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 responder appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú respondes al teléfono?” — Do you answer the phone?
Pedro: “Sí, yo respondo al profesor.” — Yes, I answer the teacher.
Marta: “Nosotros respondemos a todos los correos.” — We answer all the emails.
Pedro: “Y ellos responden a las preguntas.” — And they answer the questions.
Marta: “Vosotros respondéis rápido.” — You answer quickly.
Pedro: “Sí, y mi hermano responde al teléfono.” — Yes, and my brother answers the phone.
A short paragraph
Marta responde al profesor, y su hermano responde al teléfono. Nosotros respondemos a todos los correos, y ellos responden a las preguntas. Yo respondo con sinceridad, y el estudiante responde bien en el examen. Responder is part of every conversation, because answering a question, answering the phone and answering emails are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with responder
These are the errors learners actually make with responder. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo respondo el profesor.” Right: “Yo respondo al profesor.” Why: Answering a person needs the personal a: respondo al profesor. Without the a the sentence sounds unfinished to a native speaker.
Wrong: “Ellos responde a las preguntas.” Right: “Ellos responden a las preguntas.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form responden. The singular responde belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.
Wrong: “Yo respondo a los correos ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo respondí a todos los correos.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to respondí.
Wrong: “Nosotros respondes rápido.” Right: “Nosotros respondemos rápido.” Why: Nosotros needs respondemos. The tú form respondes belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos respondo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos responden todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form responden, not the yo form respondo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: responder in use
Ten questions on responder in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ rápido.” (You answer quickly.)
- (a) respondes
- (b) respondéis
- (c) respondo
Answer: respondéis — The vosotros/as form of responder in the present tense is respondéis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a las preguntas.” (They answer the questions.)
- (a) responden
- (b) respondo
- (c) respondes
Answer: responden — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of responder in the present tense is responden.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ a todos los correos.” (Yesterday I answered all the emails.)
- (a) respondiste
- (b) respondió
- (c) respondí
Answer: respondí — In the preterite, the yo form of responder is respondí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Mi hermano ______ al teléfono siempre.” (My brother always used to answer the phone.)
- (a) respondías
- (b) respondía
- (c) respondía
Answer: respondía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of responder is respondía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ a las preguntas mañana.” (We will answer the questions tomorrow.)
- (a) responderemos
- (b) responderé
- (c) responderás
Answer: responderemos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of responder is responderemos.
6. What does responder mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to answer, to respond
Answer: to answer, to respond — Responder means “to answer, to respond”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo respondo al profesor.
- (b) Yo respondo el profesor.
- (c) Ellos responde a las preguntas.
Answer: Yo respondo al profesor. — “Yo respondo al profesor.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I answer honestly.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo responden con sinceridad.
- (b) Yo respondo con sinceridad.
- (c) El estudiante responde bien en el examen.
Answer: Yo respondo con sinceridad. — “Yo respondo con sinceridad.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of responder in the present tense?
- (a) respondo
- (b) respondes
- (c) respondemos
Answer: respondemos — The nosotros form is respondemos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo respondí a todos los correos.
- (b) Nosotros responderemos a las preguntas mañana.
- (c) Yo respondo al profesor.
Answer: Yo respondo al profesor. — “Yo respondo al profesor.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I answer the phone' in Spanish?
Say 'Respondo al teléfono'. The phone takes the preposition a. For a message: 'Respondo a un mensaje'.
How do you say 'to answer honestly' in Spanish?
Say 'responder con sinceridad'. In the present: 'Yo respondo con sinceridad'. The con phrase describes how you answer.
Can responder be used without an object?
Yes. 'Vosotros respondéis rápido' means 'You answer quickly', with no object at all. Add an object only when you want to say what you answer: 'Respondo a las preguntas'.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of responder — every tense of responder in one place.
- Responder 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 responder and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of responder until they are automatic.