Simular Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
simular means "to simulate, to pretend" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows simular 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 simular, 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 simular
To simulate
Simular means to simulate. The sentences below all use it in that sense.
- Yo simulo una enfermedad — "I simulate an illness"
- Él simula una sonrisa — "He simulates a smile"
- Yo simulé estar dormido — "I simulated being asleep"
- Yo simulaba una enfermedad — "I used to simulate an illness"
- Yo simularé una sonrisa — "I will simulate a smile"
- Yo he simulado estar dormido — "I have simulated being asleep"
To pretend
Simular means to pretend. The sentences below all use it in that sense.
- Él simuló estar dormido — "He simulated being asleep"
- Él simulaba una enfermedad — "He used to simulate an illness"
- Tú simularás una sonrisa — "You will simulate a smile"
- Yo simularía estar dormido — "I would simulate being asleep"
- Yo había simulado una enfermedad — "I had simulated an illness"
- Nosotros simulamos una sonrisa — "We simulate a smile"
Simular in conversation
The two dialogues below show simular in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú simulas una enfermedad? — "Do you simulate an illness?"
- Sí, yo simulo una enfermedad cada día. — "Yes, I simulate an illness every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú simulaste una sonrisa? — "And yesterday? Did you simulate a smile?"
- Sí, yo simulé una sonrisa. — "Yes, I simulated a smile."
- Mañana, yo simularé estar dormido también. — "Tomorrow, I will simulate being asleep too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros simuláis una enfermedad? — "Do you simulate an illness?"
- Sí, nosotros simulamos una enfermedad los fines de semana. — "Yes, We simulate an illness at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos simulan una sonrisa? — "And them? Do they simulate a smile?"
- Sí, ellos simulan una sonrisa también. — "Yes, They simulate a smile too."
- Mañana nosotros simularemos una sonrisa otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will simulate a smile again."
Useful phrases with simular
Four patterns you can use with simular in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a simular una enfermedad. — "I am going to simulate an illness."
- Quiero simular una sonrisa. — "I want to simulate a smile."
- Me gusta simular estar dormido. — "I like to simulate being asleep."
- Acabo de simular una enfermedad. — "I have just simulated an illness."
Common mistakes with simular in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos simula una enfermedad.
- Right: Ellos simulan una enfermedad.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form simulan. The singular simula belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo simulé.
- Right: Todos los días, yo simulo.
- 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 simulado una sonrisa.
- Right: Yo he simulado una sonrisa.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he simulado, has simulado, ha simulado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo simulo.
- Right: Ayer, yo simulé.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (simulé). The present (simulo) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él simula una enfermedad.
- Right: Espero que él simule una enfermedad.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: simule. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: simular in use
Ten questions on simular across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of simular in the present tense?
- (a) he simulado
- (b) habrá simulado
- (c) simuléis
- (d) simulo
Answer: (d) simulo. The I form in the present is simulo.
2. What is the he / she form of simular in the present tense?
- (a) habré simulado
- (b) simula
- (c) simuléis
- (d) hemos simulado
Answer: (b) simula. The he / she form in the present is simula.
3. What is the he / she form of simular in the preterite tense?
- (a) habré simulado
- (b) simule
- (c) habríais simulado
- (d) simuló
Answer: (d) simuló. The he / she form in the preterite is simuló.
4. What is the I form of simular in the imperfect tense?
- (a) simulemos
- (b) simulaba
- (c) simularéis
- (d) simulará
Answer: (b) simulaba. The I form in the imperfect is simulaba.
5. What is the I form of simular in the future tense?
- (a) simulará
- (b) simulara
- (c) simularé
- (d) simulad
Answer: (c) simularé. The I form in the future is simularé.
6. What is the I form of simular in the present perfect tense?
- (a) simulan
- (b) simularía
- (c) he simulado
- (d) simulabais
Answer: (c) he simulado. The I form in the present perfect is he simulado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una enfermedad.
- (a) simule
- (b) simulemos
- (c) simulen
- (d) simuléis
Answer: (a) simule. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is simule.
8. What is the we form of simular in the present tense?
- (a) simularías
- (b) simulamos
- (c) simuláramos
- (d) simularán
Answer: (b) simulamos. The we form in the present is simulamos.
9. What is the I form of simular in the preterite tense?
- (a) simulará
- (b) habéis simulado
- (c) habrían simulado
- (d) simulé
Answer: (d) simulé. The I form in the preterite is simulé.
10. What is the they form of simular in the present tense?
- (a) simulan
- (b) simulad
- (c) simularas
- (d) simularían
Answer: (a) simulan. The they form in the present is simulan.
Frequently asked questions about simular
Is simular regular?
Yes. Simular is a regular -ar verb: simulo, simulas, simula. See the full conjugation of simular for every tense.
What is the past participle of simular?
The past participle is simulado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he simulado. The gerund is simulando, used with estar: estoy simulando.
How do I say “I simulate” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo simulé una sonrisa. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo simulaba estar dormido.
How can I practise simular?
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.