Introduction
Sustituir means “to substitute”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Sustituir means to substitute or to replace, and it is used for replacing a player, a teacher, a part and an ingredient: sustituir a un jugador, sustituir el azúcar. It takes a for the person replaced and por for the replacement. It is a -uir verb: yo sustituyo, él sustituye. This page shows sustituir 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: “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — I substitute an injured player.
Sustituir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how sustituir 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 sustituir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — I substitute an injured player.
“¿Sustituyes el azúcar por miel?” — Do you substitute sugar with honey?
“Sustituye al profesor enfermo.” — He/she substitutes the ill teacher.
“Nosotros sustituimos una pieza rota del coche.” — We substitute a broken car part.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show sustituir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo sustituí a un jugador lesionado.” — Yesterday, I substituted an injured player. (preterite)
“Antes, él sustituía el azúcar por miel.” — Before, he used to substitute sugar with honey. (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 sustituir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros sustituiremos al profesor enfermo.” — Tomorrow, we will substitute the ill teacher. (future)
“¿Tú has sustituido una pieza rota del coche?” — Have you substituted a broken car part? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros sustituís a un jugador lesionado.” — You substitute an injured player.
“Ellos sustituyen el azúcar por miel.” — They substitute sugar with honey.
“Yo sustituyo al profesor enfermo.” — I substitute the ill teacher.
“Mi padre sustituye una pieza rota del coche.” — My father substitutes a broken car part.
Sustituir 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 sustituir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú sustituyes el azúcar por miel?” — Do you substitute sugar with honey?
Pedro: “Sí, yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — Yes, I substitute an injured player.
Marta: “Nosotros sustituimos una pieza rota del coche.” — We substitute a broken car part.
Pedro: “Y ellos sustituyen el azúcar por miel.” — And they substitute sugar with honey.
Marta: “Vosotros sustituís al profesor enfermo.” — You substitute the ill teacher.
Pedro: “Sí, y él sustituye a un jugador lesionado.” — Yes, and he substitutes an injured player.
A short paragraph
Sustituye a un jugador lesionado, y nosotros sustituimos una pieza rota del coche. Yo sustituyo el azúcar por miel, y ellos sustituyen al profesor enfermo. Sustituir is part of everyday life, because substitute is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with sustituir
These are the errors learners actually make with sustituir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo sustituye a un jugador lesionado.” Right: “Yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” Why: The person matters: sustituye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sustituyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo sustituo el azúcar por miel.” Right: “Yo sustituyo el azúcar por miel.” Why: Sustituir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is sustituyo and sustituye, and the gerund is sustituyendo. The form sustituyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating sustituir and reemplazar as identical in every context.” Right: “Sustituir means to substitute, while reemplazar means to replace.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sustituir fits sentences such as Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado, while reemplazar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy sustituido el azúcar por miel.” Right: “Yo he sustituido el azúcar por miel.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sustituido, has sustituido, ha sustituido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo sustituí al profesor enfermo todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo sustituía al profesor enfermo todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sustituía), not the preterite. The preterite (sustituí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: sustituir in use
Ten questions on sustituir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ a un jugador lesionado.” (You substitute an injured player.)
- (a) sustituís
- (b) sustituyo
- (c) sustituyes
Answer: sustituís — The vosotros/as form of sustituir in the present tense is sustituís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el azúcar por miel.” (They substitute sugar with honey.)
- (a) sustituyes
- (b) sustituyen
- (c) sustituyo
Answer: sustituyen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sustituir in the present tense is sustituyen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ a un jugador lesionado.” (Yesterday I substituted an injured player.)
- (a) sustituiste
- (b) sustituyó
- (c) sustituí
Answer: sustituí — In the preterite, the yo form of sustituir is sustituí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el azúcar por miel.” (Before, he used to substitute sugar with honey.)
- (a) sustituía
- (b) sustituyo
- (c) sustituías
Answer: sustituía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of sustituir is sustituía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ al profesor enfermo.” (Tomorrow we will substitute the ill teacher.)
- (a) sustituirás
- (b) sustituiremos
- (c) sustituiré
Answer: sustituiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of sustituir is sustituiremos.
6. What does sustituir mean in English?
- (a) to substitute
- (b) to arise
- (c) to replace
Answer: to substitute — Sustituir means “to substitute”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo sustituye a un jugador lesionado.
- (b) Ellos sustituye el azúcar por miel.
- (c) Yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.
Answer: Yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado. — “Yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I substitute an injured player.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre sustituye una pieza rota del coche.
- (b) Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.
- (c) Sustituyen a un jugador lesionado.
Answer: Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado. — “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of sustituir in the present tense?
- (a) sustituyo
- (b) sustituyes
- (c) sustituimos
Answer: sustituimos — The nosotros form is sustituimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros sustituiremos al profesor enfermo.
- (b) Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.
- (c) Ayer, yo sustituí a un jugador lesionado.
Answer: Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado. — “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I substitute an injured player' in Spanish?
Say 'Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado todos los días'.
How do you say 'He substitutes sugar with honey' in Spanish?
Say 'Él sustituye el azúcar por miel'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes sustituye.
What is the difference between sustituir and reemplazar?
Sustituir means to substitute, while reemplazar means to replace. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sustituir when you mean to substitute, as in 'Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado', and use reemplazar for to replace.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sustituir — every tense of sustituir in one place.
- Sustituir 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 sustituir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of sustituir until they are automatic.