Introduction
Sufrir means “to suffer”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Sufrir means to suffer, and it covers suffering an illness, a loss, heat and a defeat: sufrir una enfermedad, sufrir una derrota. It takes a direct object for what is suffered, and it is a regular -ir verb. This page shows sufrir 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: “Sufro una enfermedad grave.” — I suffer a serious illness.
Sufrir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how sufrir 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 sufrir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Sufro una enfermedad grave.” — I suffer a serious illness.
“¿Sufres mucho con el calor?” — Do you suffer a lot with the heat?
“Sufre una derrota en la final.” — He/she suffers a defeat in the final.
“Nosotros sufrimos la pérdida de su madre.” — We suffer the loss of his mother.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show sufrir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo sufrí una enfermedad grave.” — Yesterday, I suffered a serious illness. (preterite)
“Antes, él sufría mucho con el calor.” — Before, he used to suffer a lot with the heat. (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 sufrir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros sufriremos una derrota en la final.” — Tomorrow, we will suffer a defeat in the final. (future)
“¿Tú has sufrido la pérdida de su madre?” — Have you suffered the loss of his mother? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros sufrís una enfermedad grave.” — You suffer a serious illness.
“Ellos sufren mucho con el calor.” — They suffer a lot with the heat.
“Yo sufro una derrota en la final.” — I suffer a defeat in the final.
“Mi padre sufre la pérdida de su madre.” — My father suffers the loss of his mother.
Sufrir 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 sufrir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú sufres mucho con el calor?” — Do you suffer a lot with the heat?
Pedro: “Sí, yo sufro una enfermedad grave.” — Yes, I suffer a serious illness.
Marta: “Nosotros sufrimos la pérdida de su madre.” — We suffer the loss of his mother.
Pedro: “Y ellos sufren mucho con el calor.” — And they suffer a lot with the heat.
Marta: “Vosotros sufrís una derrota en la final.” — You suffer a defeat in the final.
Pedro: “Sí, y él sufre una enfermedad grave.” — Yes, and he suffers a serious illness.
A short paragraph
Sufre una enfermedad grave, y nosotros sufrimos la pérdida de su madre. Yo sufro mucho con el calor, y ellos sufren una derrota en la final. Sufrir is part of everyday life, because suffer is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with sufrir
These are the errors learners actually make with sufrir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo sufre una enfermedad grave.” Right: “Yo sufro una enfermedad grave.” Why: The person matters: sufre is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sufro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sufro mucho con el calor.” Right: “Ayer yo sufrí mucho con el calor.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: sufro is happening now, while sufrí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating sufrir and padecer as identical in every context.” Right: “Sufrir means to suffer, while padecer means to suffer, more formal.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sufrir fits sentences such as Sufro una enfermedad grave, while padecer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy sufrido mucho con el calor.” Right: “Yo he sufrido mucho con el calor.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sufrido, has sufrido, ha sufrido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo sufrí una derrota en la final todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo sufría una derrota en la final todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sufría), not the preterite. The preterite (sufrí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: sufrir in use
Ten questions on sufrir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ una enfermedad grave.” (You suffer a serious illness.)
- (a) sufrís
- (b) sufro
- (c) sufres
Answer: sufrís — The vosotros/as form of sufrir in the present tense is sufrís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ mucho con el calor.” (They suffer a lot with the heat.)
- (a) sufres
- (b) sufren
- (c) sufro
Answer: sufren — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sufrir in the present tense is sufren.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ una enfermedad grave.” (Yesterday I suffered a serious illness.)
- (a) sufriste
- (b) sufrió
- (c) sufrí
Answer: sufrí — In the preterite, the yo form of sufrir is sufrí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ mucho con el calor.” (Before, he used to suffer a lot with the heat.)
- (a) sufría
- (b) sufro
- (c) sufrías
Answer: sufría — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of sufrir is sufría.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una derrota en la final.” (Tomorrow we will suffer a defeat in the final.)
- (a) sufrirás
- (b) sufriremos
- (c) sufriré
Answer: sufriremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of sufrir is sufriremos.
6. What does sufrir mean in English?
- (a) to suffer
- (b) to roar
- (c) to suffer, more formal
Answer: to suffer — Sufrir means “to suffer”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo sufre una enfermedad grave.
- (b) Ellos sufre mucho con el calor.
- (c) Yo sufro una enfermedad grave.
Answer: Yo sufro una enfermedad grave. — “Yo sufro una enfermedad grave.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I suffer a serious illness.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre sufre la pérdida de su madre.
- (b) Sufro una enfermedad grave.
- (c) Sufren una enfermedad grave.
Answer: Sufro una enfermedad grave. — “Sufro una enfermedad grave.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of sufrir in the present tense?
- (a) sufro
- (b) sufres
- (c) sufrimos
Answer: sufrimos — The nosotros form is sufrimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros sufriremos una derrota en la final.
- (b) Sufro una enfermedad grave.
- (c) Ayer, yo sufrí una enfermedad grave.
Answer: Sufro una enfermedad grave. — “Sufro una enfermedad grave.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I suffer a serious illness' in Spanish?
Say 'Sufro una enfermedad grave'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Sufro una enfermedad grave todos los días'.
How do you say 'He suffers a lot with the heat' in Spanish?
Say 'Él sufre mucho con el calor'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes sufre.
What is the difference between sufrir and padecer?
Sufrir means to suffer, while padecer means to suffer, more formal. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sufrir when you mean to suffer, as in 'Sufro una enfermedad grave', and use padecer for to suffer, more formal.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sufrir — every tense of sufrir in one place.
- Sufrir 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 sufrir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of sufrir until they are automatic.