Introduction
Sumar means “to add up”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Sumar means to add up or to add, and it is used for numbers, points, years and efforts: sumar dos y dos, sumar puntos en el juego. It is a fully regular -ar verb, and it is the opposite of restar in maths. This page shows sumar 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: “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” — I add two and two in class.
Sumar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how sumar 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 sumar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Sumo dos y dos en clase.” — I add two and two in class.
“¿Sumas puntos en el juego?” — Do you add points in the game?
“Suma los gastos del mes.” — He/she adds the month's expenses.
“Nosotros sumamos años de experiencia.” — We add years of experience.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show sumar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo sumé dos y dos en clase.” — Yesterday, I added two and two in class. (preterite)
“Antes, él sumaba puntos en el juego.” — Before, he used to add points in the game. (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 sumar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros sumaremos los gastos del mes.” — Tomorrow, we will add the month's expenses. (future)
“¿Tú has sumado años de experiencia?” — Have you added years of experience? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros sumáis dos y dos en clase.” — You add two and two in class.
“Ellos suman puntos en el juego.” — They add points in the game.
“Yo sumo los gastos del mes.” — I add the month's expenses.
“Mi padre suma años de experiencia.” — My father adds years of experience.
Sumar 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 sumar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú sumas puntos en el juego?” — Do you add points in the game?
Pedro: “Sí, yo sumo dos y dos en clase.” — Yes, I add two and two in class.
Marta: “Nosotros sumamos años de experiencia.” — We add years of experience.
Pedro: “Y ellos suman puntos en el juego.” — And they add points in the game.
Marta: “Vosotros sumáis los gastos del mes.” — You add the month's expenses.
Pedro: “Sí, y él suma dos y dos en clase.” — Yes, and he adds two and two in class.
A short paragraph
Suma dos y dos en clase, y nosotros sumamos años de experiencia. Yo sumo puntos en el juego, y ellos suman los gastos del mes. Sumar is part of everyday life, because add up is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with sumar
These are the errors learners actually make with sumar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo suma dos y dos en clase.” Right: “Yo sumo dos y dos en clase.” Why: The person matters: suma is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sumo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sumo puntos en el juego.” Right: “Ayer yo sumé puntos en el juego.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: sumo is happening now, while sumé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating sumar and restar as identical in every context.” Right: “Sumar means to add up, while restar means to subtract, its opposite.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sumar fits sentences such as Sumo dos y dos en clase, while restar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy sumado puntos en el juego.” Right: “Yo he sumado puntos en el juego.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sumado, has sumado, ha sumado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo sumé los gastos del mes todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo sumaba los gastos del mes todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sumaba), not the preterite. The preterite (sumé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: sumar in use
Ten questions on sumar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ dos y dos en clase.” (You add two and two in class.)
- (a) sumáis
- (b) sumo
- (c) sumas
Answer: sumáis — The vosotros/as form of sumar in the present tense is sumáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ puntos en el juego.” (They add points in the game.)
- (a) sumas
- (b) suman
- (c) sumo
Answer: suman — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sumar in the present tense is suman.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ dos y dos en clase.” (Yesterday I added two and two in class.)
- (a) sumaste
- (b) sumó
- (c) sumé
Answer: sumé — In the preterite, the yo form of sumar is sumé.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ puntos en el juego.” (Before, he used to add points in the game.)
- (a) sumaba
- (b) sumo
- (c) sumabas
Answer: sumaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of sumar is sumaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ los gastos del mes.” (Tomorrow we will add the month's expenses.)
- (a) sumarás
- (b) sumaremos
- (c) sumaré
Answer: sumaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of sumar is sumaremos.
6. What does sumar mean in English?
- (a) to add up
- (b) to underline, to emphasise
- (c) to subtract, its opposite
Answer: to add up — Sumar means “to add up”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo suma dos y dos en clase.
- (b) Ellos suma puntos en el juego.
- (c) Yo sumo dos y dos en clase.
Answer: Yo sumo dos y dos en clase. — “Yo sumo dos y dos en clase.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I add two and two in class.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre suma años de experiencia.
- (b) Sumo dos y dos en clase.
- (c) Suman dos y dos en clase.
Answer: Sumo dos y dos en clase. — “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of sumar in the present tense?
- (a) sumo
- (b) sumas
- (c) sumamos
Answer: sumamos — The nosotros form is sumamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros sumaremos los gastos del mes.
- (b) Sumo dos y dos en clase.
- (c) Ayer, yo sumé dos y dos en clase.
Answer: Sumo dos y dos en clase. — “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I add two and two in class' in Spanish?
Say 'Sumo dos y dos en clase'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Sumo dos y dos en clase todos los días'.
How do you say 'He adds points in the game' in Spanish?
Say 'Él suma puntos en el juego'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes suma.
What is the difference between sumar and restar?
Sumar means to add up, while restar means to subtract, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sumar when you mean to add up, as in 'Sumo dos y dos en clase', and use restar for to subtract, its opposite.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sumar — every tense of sumar in one place.
- Sumar 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 sumar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of sumar until they are automatic.