Sacrificar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb sacrificar means to sacrifice, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sacrificar is a spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. It has a spelling change (c → qu before e), which keeps the pronunciation of the stem the same when the ending changes. On this page you will find the full conjugation of sacrificar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo sacrifico mucho tiempo — "I sacrifice a lot of time" — and in the preterite you say Yo sacrifiqué su comodidad — "I sacrificed their comfort". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: sacrificar
- English: to sacrifice
- Verb type: spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: sacrificando
- Past participle: sacrificado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sacrificado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sacrificar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sacrificar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: sacrificando · Past participle: sacrificado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrifico |
| tú | sacrificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrifica |
| nosotros/as | sacrificamos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrifican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrifiqué |
| tú | sacrificaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrificó |
| nosotros/as | sacrificamos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrificaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrificaba |
| tú | sacrificabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrificaba |
| nosotros/as | sacrificábamos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrificaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrificaré |
| tú | sacrificarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrificará |
| nosotros/as | sacrificaremos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrificarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrificaría |
| tú | sacrificarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrificaría |
| nosotros/as | sacrificaríamos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrificarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he sacrificado |
| tú | has sacrificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha sacrificado |
| nosotros/as | hemos sacrificado |
| vosotros/as | habéis sacrificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han sacrificado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había sacrificado |
| tú | habías sacrificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había sacrificado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos sacrificado |
| vosotros/as | habíais sacrificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían sacrificado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré sacrificado |
| tú | habrás sacrificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá sacrificado |
| nosotros/as | habremos sacrificado |
| vosotros/as | habréis sacrificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán sacrificado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría sacrificado |
| tú | habrías sacrificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría sacrificado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos sacrificado |
| vosotros/as | habríais sacrificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían sacrificado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrifique |
| tú | sacrifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrifique |
| nosotros/as | sacrifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | sacrifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrifiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacrificara |
| tú | sacrificaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrificara |
| nosotros/as | sacrificáramos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrificaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sacrifica |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrifique |
| nosotros/as | sacrifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | sacrificad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrifiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sacrifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | sacrifique |
| nosotros/as | sacrifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | sacrifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sacrifiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | sacrificando | with estar for the progressive: estoy sacrificando |
| Past participle | sacrificado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he sacrificado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For sacrificar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sacrifico su comodidad — "I sacrifice their comfort". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For sacrificar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sacrifiqué sus vacaciones — "I sacrificed their holidays". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. Spelling change in the preterite: the yo form is sacrifiqué (c → qu before e), so the sound of the stem stays the same.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For sacrificar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sacrificaba mucho tiempo — "I used to sacrifice a lot of time". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For sacrificar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sacrificaré su comodidad — "I will sacrifice their comfort". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For sacrificar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo sacrificaría sus vacaciones — "I would sacrifice their holidays". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For sacrificar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he sacrificado mucho tiempo — "I have sacrificed a lot of time". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For sacrificar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había sacrificado su comodidad — "I had sacrificed their comfort". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For sacrificar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré sacrificado sus vacaciones — "I will have sacrificed their holidays". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For sacrificar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría sacrificado mucho tiempo — "I would have sacrificed a lot of time". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For sacrificar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él sacrifique su comodidad — "I hope he sacrifices their comfort". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. The subjunctive keeps the spelling change: sacrifique, sacrifiques, sacrifique all show c → qu before e, just like the preterite yo form.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For sacrificar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo sacrificara sus vacaciones, todo cambiaría — "If I sacrificed their holidays, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For sacrificar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Sacrifique mucho tiempo — "Let him sacrifice a lot of time". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For sacrificar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No sacrifiques su comodidad — "Don't sacrifice their comfort". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with sacrificar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo sacrifico sus vacaciones — "I sacrifice their holidays"
- Él sacrifica mucho tiempo — "He sacrifices a lot of time"
- Yo sacrifiqué su comodidad — "I sacrificed their comfort"
- Yo sacrificaba sus vacaciones — "I used to sacrifice their holidays"
- Tú sacrificarás mucho tiempo — "You will sacrifice a lot of time"
- Yo sacrificaría su comodidad — "I would sacrifice their comfort"
- Él ha sacrificado sus vacaciones — "He has sacrificed their holidays"
- Espero que él sacrifique mucho tiempo — "I hope he sacrifices a lot of time"
- Yo había sacrificado su comodidad — "I had sacrificed their comfort"
- Ellos sacrificaban sus vacaciones — "They used to sacrifice their holidays"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos sacrifica mucho tiempo — Right: Ellos sacrifican mucho tiempo — Ellos needs the ellos form sacrifican. The singular sacrifica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo sacrifico — Right: Ayer, yo sacrifiqué — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sacrifiqué, with the spelling change c → qu before e.
- Wrong: De niño, yo sacrifiqué todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo sacrificaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sacrificaba), not the preterite. The preterite (sacrifiqué) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy sacrificado su comodidad. — Right: Yo he sacrificado su comodidad. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sacrificado, has sacrificado, ha sacrificado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él sacrifica mucho tiempo. — Right: Espero que él sacrifique mucho tiempo. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: sacrifique. The indicative sacrifica is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sacrificar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho tiempo. (present tense) A. habríais sacrificado B. sacrifico C. habrían sacrificado D. sacrificaras
Complete the sentence: Él ___ mucho tiempo. (preterite) A. habrán sacrificado B. sacrificó C. sacrificara D. sacrificaste
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mucho tiempo. (imperfect) A. sacrificábamos B. habéis sacrificado C. sacrificarán D. sacrificaste
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ mucho tiempo. (future) A. sacrificarás B. sacrificamos C. sacrificó D. sacrificaron
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho tiempo. (conditional) A. sacrificaría B. habríais sacrificado C. sacrificaran D. he sacrificado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ mucho tiempo. (present subjunctive) A. sacrificó B. sacrificad C. sacrificabais D. sacrifique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mucho tiempo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. habréis sacrificado B. sacrificaremos C. sacrificaría D. sacrificara
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mucho tiempo. (present perfect) A. habría sacrificado B. hemos sacrificado C. sacrifiquen D. habrías sacrificado
Complete the command: No ___ mucho tiempo. (negative imperative, tú) A. sacrifique B. sacrifiquemos C. sacrifiquen D. sacrifiques
Which is the gerund of sacrificar, used with estar for the progressive? A. sacrificaré B. sacrificando C. sacrificaba D. sacrificado
Answer key
- sacrifico — The yo present tense of sacrificar is sacrifico.
- sacrificó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of sacrificar is sacrificó.
- sacrificábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of sacrificar is sacrificábamos.
- sacrificarás — The tú future of sacrificar is sacrificarás.
- sacrificaría — The yo conditional of sacrificar is sacrificaría.
- sacrifique — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of sacrificar is sacrifique.
- sacrificara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of sacrificar is sacrificara.
- hemos sacrificado — The nosotros/as present perfect of sacrificar is hemos sacrificado.
- sacrifiques — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: sacrifiques.
- sacrificando — The gerund of sacrificar is sacrificando: estoy sacrificando. The participle sacrificado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does sacrificar mean in English?
Sacrificar means to sacrifice. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo sacrifico mucho tiempo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is sacrificar regular?
Mostly. Sacrificar follows the regular -ar endings, but it has a spelling change (c → qu before e). The tables on this page show every form, so you can see exactly where the spelling changes.
What is the gerund and the past participle of sacrificar?
The gerund is sacrificando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sacrificando. The past participle is sacrificado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sacrificado.
How do I say “I sacrifice” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo sacrifiqué su comodidad. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo sacrificaba sus vacaciones. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he sacrificado mucho tiempo.
How do I practise sacrificar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the sacrificar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Sacrificar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for sacrificar.
- Sacrificar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for sacrificar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Salvar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sacrificar.
- Salvarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sacrificar.
- Sanar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with sacrificar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.