Sacrificar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
sacrificar means "to sacrifice" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows sacrificar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of sacrificar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with sacrificar
Everyday use
Sacrificar means to sacrifice. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo sacrifico mucho tiempo — "I sacrifice a lot of time"
- Él sacrifica su comodidad — "He sacrifices their comfort"
- Yo sacrifiqué sus vacaciones — "I sacrificed their holidays"
- Yo sacrificaba mucho tiempo — "I used to sacrifice a lot of time"
- Yo sacrificaré su comodidad — "I will sacrifice their comfort"
- Yo he sacrificado sus vacaciones — "I have sacrificed their holidays"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él sacrificó sus vacaciones — "He sacrificed their holidays"
- Él sacrificaba mucho tiempo — "He used to sacrifice a lot of time"
- Tú sacrificarás su comodidad — "You will sacrifice their comfort"
- Yo sacrificaría sus vacaciones — "I would sacrifice their holidays"
- Yo había sacrificado mucho tiempo — "I had sacrificed a lot of time"
- Nosotros sacrificamos su comodidad — "We sacrifice their comfort"
Sacrificar in conversation
The two dialogues below show sacrificar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú sacrificas mucho tiempo? — "Do you sacrifice a lot of time?"
- Sí, yo sacrifico mucho tiempo cada día. — "Yes, I sacrifice a lot of time every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú sacrificaste su comodidad? — "And yesterday? Did you sacrifice their comfort?"
- Sí, yo sacrifiqué su comodidad. — "Yes, I sacrificed their comfort."
- Mañana, yo sacrificaré sus vacaciones también. — "Tomorrow, I will sacrifice their holidays too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros sacrificáis mucho tiempo? — "Do you sacrifice a lot of time?"
- Sí, nosotros sacrificamos mucho tiempo los fines de semana. — "Yes, We sacrifice a lot of time at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos sacrifican su comodidad? — "And them? Do they sacrifice their comfort?"
- Sí, ellos sacrifican su comodidad también. — "Yes, They sacrifice their comfort too."
- Mañana nosotros sacrificaremos su comodidad otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will sacrifice their comfort again."
Useful phrases with sacrificar
Four patterns you can use with sacrificar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a sacrificar mucho tiempo. — "I am going to sacrifice a lot of time."
- Quiero sacrificar su comodidad. — "I want to sacrifice their comfort."
- Me gusta sacrificar sus vacaciones. — "I like to sacrifice their holidays."
- Acabo de sacrificar mucho tiempo. — "I have just sacrificed a lot of time."
Common mistakes with sacrificar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos sacrifica mucho tiempo.
- Right: Ellos sacrifican mucho tiempo.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form sacrifican. The singular sacrifica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo sacrifiqué.
- Right: Todos los días, yo sacrifico.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy sacrificado su comodidad.
- Right: Yo he sacrificado su comodidad.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sacrificado, has sacrificado, ha sacrificado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo sacrifico.
- Right: Ayer, yo sacrifiqué.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (sacrifiqué). The present (sacrifico) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él sacrifica mucho tiempo.
- Right: Espero que él sacrifique mucho tiempo.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: sacrifique. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: sacrificar in use
Ten questions on sacrificar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of sacrificar in the present tense?
- (a) has sacrificado
- (b) sacrifico
- (c) sacrifiques
- (d) habíais sacrificado
Answer: (b) sacrifico. The I form in the present is sacrifico.
2. What is the he / she form of sacrificar in the present tense?
- (a) sacrificaran
- (b) sacrifica
- (c) sacrificáramos
- (d) sacrifican
Answer: (b) sacrifica. The he / she form in the present is sacrifica.
3. What is the he / she form of sacrificar in the preterite tense?
- (a) habrían sacrificado
- (b) sacrificó
- (c) sacrificaban
- (d) sacrificáramos
Answer: (b) sacrificó. The he / she form in the preterite is sacrificó.
4. What is the I form of sacrificar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) sacrifico
- (b) sacrificaba
- (c) habrías sacrificado
- (d) sacrificáis
Answer: (b) sacrificaba. The I form in the imperfect is sacrificaba.
5. What is the I form of sacrificar in the future tense?
- (a) sacrificaré
- (b) había sacrificado
- (c) habré sacrificado
- (d) habríais sacrificado
Answer: (a) sacrificaré. The I form in the future is sacrificaré.
6. What is the I form of sacrificar in the present perfect tense?
- (a) habían sacrificado
- (b) he sacrificado
- (c) sacrificaste
- (d) sacrificará
Answer: (b) he sacrificado. The I form in the present perfect is he sacrificado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ mucho tiempo.
- (a) sacrifique
- (b) sacrifiquen
- (c) sacrifiques
- (d) sacrifiquemos
Answer: (a) sacrifique. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is sacrifique.
8. What is the we form of sacrificar in the present tense?
- (a) sacrificamos
- (b) sacrificaríamos
- (c) habrás sacrificado
- (d) habremos sacrificado
Answer: (a) sacrificamos. The we form in the present is sacrificamos.
9. What is the I form of sacrificar in the preterite tense?
- (a) sacrificabas
- (b) sacrifiqué
- (c) hemos sacrificado
- (d) sacrificasteis
Answer: (b) sacrifiqué. The I form in the preterite is sacrifiqué.
10. What is the they form of sacrificar in the present tense?
- (a) he sacrificado
- (b) sacrifican
- (c) sacrifico
- (d) sacrificábamos
Answer: (b) sacrifican. The they form in the present is sacrifican.
Frequently asked questions about sacrificar
Is sacrificar regular?
Sacrificar is a spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb: sacrifico, sacrificas, sacrifica. See the full conjugation of sacrificar for every tense.
What is the past participle of sacrificar?
The past participle is sacrificado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sacrificado. The gerund is sacrificando, used with estar: estoy sacrificando.
How do I say “I sacrifice” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo sacrifiqué su comodidad. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo sacrificaba sus vacaciones.
How can I practise sacrificar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.