Sospechar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
sospechar means "to suspect" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows sospechar 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 sospechar, 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 sospechar
Suspecting a person
Sospechar de alguien means you believe someone may have done something, usually something wrong: sospecho de su vecino. It takes de, and it is the language of police reports, gossip and detective stories.
- Cada día, yo sospecho de su vecino. — "Every day, I suspect his neighbour."
- Hoy, él / ella sospecha un problema en el motor. — "Today, he / she suspects a problem with the engine."
- Ayer, yo sospeché que algo no va bien. — "Yesterday, I suspected that something is wrong."
- Antes, yo sospechaba de la verdad. — "Before, I used to suspect the truth."
- Mañana, yo sospecharé de su vecino. — "Tomorrow, I will suspect his neighbour."
- Hoy, yo he sospechado un problema en el motor. — "Today, I have suspected a problem with the engine."
Suspecting a problem
Sospechar un problema means you have a feeling something is wrong before you have proof: sospecho un problema en el motor. Here the verb takes a direct object and no preposition.
- Cada día, yo sospecho que algo no va bien. — "Every day, I suspect that something is wrong."
- Hoy, él / ella sospecha de la verdad. — "Today, he / she suspects the truth."
- Ayer, yo sospeché de su vecino. — "Yesterday, I suspected his neighbour."
- Antes, yo sospechaba un problema en el motor. — "Before, I used to suspect a problem with the engine."
- Mañana, yo sospecharé que algo no va bien. — "Tomorrow, I will suspect that something is wrong."
- Hoy, yo he sospechado de la verdad. — "Today, I have suspected the truth."
Sospechar in conversation
The two dialogues below show sospechar in natural conversation. The first is about suspecting a person, and the second is about suspecting a problem. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú sospechas de su vecino? — "Do you suspect his neighbour?"
- Sí, yo sospecho de su vecino cada día. — "Yes, I suspect his neighbour every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú sospechaste un problema en el motor? — "And yesterday? Did you suspect a problem with the engine?"
- Sí, ayer yo sospeché un problema en el motor. — "Yes, yesterday I suspected a problem with the engine."
- Mañana yo sospecharé que algo no va bien también. — "Tomorrow I will suspect that something is wrong too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros sospecháis que algo no va bien? — "Do you suspect that something is wrong?"
- Sí, nosotros sospechamos que algo no va bien los fines de semana. — "Yes, we suspect that something is wrong at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos sospechan de la verdad? — "And them? Do they suspect the truth?"
- Sí, ellos sospechan de la verdad también. — "Yes, they suspect the truth too."
- Mañana nosotros sospecharemos que algo no va bien otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will suspect that something is wrong again."
Common mistakes with sospechar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo sospecho su vecino.
- Right: Yo sospecho de su vecino.
- Why: When the object is a person you suspect, sospechar takes de. Without de the sentence is wrong: sospecho de su vecino.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Sospecho que algo no va bien, así que es verdad.
- Right: Sospecho que algo no va bien, pero no estoy seguro.
- Why: Sospechar expresses a suspicion, not a certainty. Adding así que es verdad contradicts the verb itself.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Sospechar es lo mismo que saber.
- Right: Sospechar means to suspect; saber means to know.
- Why: A suspicion is not knowledge. Sospechar is what you say before you have proof, and saber is what you say after you have it.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo sospeché de su vecino.
- Right: Cada día, yo sospecho de su vecino.
- Why: Cada día 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 5
- Wrong: Yo sospecho de su vecino ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo sospeché de su vecino.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: sospechar in use
Ten questions on sospechar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of sospechar in the present tense?
- (a) sospecha
- (b) sospechamos
- (c) sospecho
- (d) sospechas
Answer: (c) sospecho. The i form in the present is sospecho.
2. What is the he / she form of sospechar in the present tense?
- (a) sospechamos
- (b) sospecha
- (c) sospecho
- (d) sospechas
Answer: (b) sospecha. The he / she form in the present is sospecha.
3. What is the he / she form of sospechar in the preterite tense?
- (a) sospechó
- (b) sospeché
- (c) sospechaste
- (d) sospechamos
Answer: (a) sospechó. The he / she form in the preterite is sospechó.
4. What is the i form of sospechar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) sospecho
- (b) sospeché
- (c) sospecharé
- (d) sospechaba
Answer: (d) sospechaba. The i form in the imperfect is sospechaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of sospechar in the future tense?
- (a) sospechará
- (b) sospecharemos
- (c) sospecharé
- (d) sospecharás
Answer: (c) sospecharé. The i form in the future is sospecharé.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) sospeché
- (b) sospechaba
- (c) sospecho
- (d) he sospechado
Answer: (d) he sospechado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he sospechado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de su vecino.
- (a) sospechaba
- (b) sospeche
- (c) sospecha
- (d) sospechó
Answer: (b) sospeche. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: sospeche. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of sospechar in the present tense?
- (a) sospecho
- (b) sospechas
- (c) sospecha
- (d) sospechamos
Answer: (d) sospechamos. The we form in the present is sospechamos.
9. What is the i form of sospechar in the preterite tense?
- (a) sospechó
- (b) sospechamos
- (c) sospeché
- (d) sospechaste
Answer: (c) sospeché. The i form in the preterite is sospeché.
10. What is the they form of sospechar in the present tense?
- (a) sospecha
- (b) sospechan
- (c) sospecho
- (d) sospechas
Answer: (b) sospechan. The they form in the present is sospechan.
Frequently asked questions about sospechar
Does sospechar take de?
Yes, when you suspect a person: sospecho de su vecino. When you suspect a thing or a problem, it takes a direct object: sospecho un problema.
Is sospechar regular?
Yes. Sospechar is a regular -ar verb in every tense: sospecho, sospechaste, sospechaba, sospecharé. The only thing to learn is the preposition.
What is the difference between sospechar and dudar?
Dudar means you are unsure whether something is true. Sospechar means you believe something is probably true, usually something bad or hidden.
How can I practise sospechar?
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.