Tartamudear Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

tartamudear means "to stutter" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows tartamudear 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 tartamudear, 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 tartamudear

Everyday use

Tartamudear means to stutter. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo tartamudeo de nervios — "I stutter from nerves"
  2. Él tartamudea al hablar en público — "He stutters when speaking in public"
  3. Yo tartamudeé a veces — "I stuttered sometimes"
  4. Yo tartamudeaba de nervios — "I used to stutter from nerves"
  5. Yo tartamudearé al hablar en público — "I will stutter when speaking in public"
  6. Yo he tartamudeado a veces — "I have stuttered sometimes"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él tartamudeó a veces — "He stuttered sometimes"
  2. Él tartamudeaba de nervios — "He used to stutter from nerves"
  3. Tú tartamudearás al hablar en público — "You will stutter when speaking in public"
  4. Yo tartamudearía a veces — "I would stutter sometimes"
  5. Yo había tartamudeado de nervios — "I had stuttered from nerves"
  6. Nosotros tartamudeamos al hablar en público — "We stutter when speaking in public"

Tartamudear in conversation

The two dialogues below show tartamudear in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú tartamudeas de nervios? — "Do you stutter from nerves?"
  • Sí, yo tartamudeo de nervios cada día. — "Yes, I stutter from nerves every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú tartamudeaste al hablar en público? — "And yesterday? Did you stutter when speaking in public?"
  • Sí, yo tartamudeé al hablar en público. — "Yes, I stuttered when speaking in public."
  • Mañana, yo tartamudearé a veces también. — "Tomorrow, I will stutter sometimes too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros tartamudeáis de nervios? — "Do you stutter from nerves?"
  • Sí, nosotros tartamudeamos de nervios los fines de semana. — "Yes, We stutter from nerves at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos tartamudean al hablar en público? — "And them? Do they stutter when speaking in public?"
  • Sí, ellos tartamudean al hablar en público también. — "Yes, They stutter when speaking in public too."
  • Mañana nosotros tartamudearemos al hablar en público otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will stutter when speaking in public again."

Useful phrases with tartamudear

Four patterns you can use with tartamudear in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a tartamudear de nervios. — "I am going to stutter from nerves."
  • Quiero tartamudear al hablar en público. — "I want to stutter when speaking in public."
  • Me gusta tartamudear a veces. — "I like to stutter sometimes."
  • Acabo de tartamudear de nervios. — "I have just stuttered from nerves."

Common mistakes with tartamudear in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos tartamudea de nervios.
  • Right: Ellos tartamudean de nervios.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form tartamudean. The singular tartamudea belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo tartamudeé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo tartamudeo.
  • 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 tartamudeado al hablar en público.
  • Right: Yo he tartamudeado al hablar en público.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tartamudeado, has tartamudeado, ha tartamudeado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo tartamudeo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo tartamudeé.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (tartamudeé). The present (tartamudeo) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él tartamudea de nervios.
  • Right: Espero que él tartamudee de nervios.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: tartamudee. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: tartamudear in use

Ten questions on tartamudear across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of tartamudear in the present tense?

  • (a) he tartamudeado
  • (b) tartamudeas
  • (c) tartamudeo
  • (d) tartamudeen

Answer: (c) tartamudeo. The I form in the present is tartamudeo.

2. What is the he / she form of tartamudear in the present tense?

  • (a) tartamudea
  • (b) tartamudearían
  • (c) había tartamudeado
  • (d) he tartamudeado

Answer: (a) tartamudea. The he / she form in the present is tartamudea.

3. What is the he / she form of tartamudear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) tartamudeó
  • (b) he tartamudeado
  • (c) tartamudeabas
  • (d) hemos tartamudeado

Answer: (a) tartamudeó. The he / she form in the preterite is tartamudeó.

4. What is the I form of tartamudear in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) tartamudeara
  • (b) tartamudeo
  • (c) tartamudeaba
  • (d) tartamudeáramos

Answer: (c) tartamudeaba. The I form in the imperfect is tartamudeaba.

5. What is the I form of tartamudear in the future tense?

  • (a) tartamudeo
  • (b) tartamudeabas
  • (c) habré tartamudeado
  • (d) tartamudearé

Answer: (d) tartamudearé. The I form in the future is tartamudearé.

6. What is the I form of tartamudear in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) tartamudeéis
  • (b) habremos tartamudeado
  • (c) habían tartamudeado
  • (d) he tartamudeado

Answer: (d) he tartamudeado. The I form in the present perfect is he tartamudeado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de nervios.

  • (a) tartamudees
  • (b) tartamudeen
  • (c) tartamudeéis
  • (d) tartamudee

Answer: (d) tartamudee. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is tartamudee.

8. What is the we form of tartamudear in the present tense?

  • (a) tartamudeaban
  • (b) habías tartamudeado
  • (c) tartamudeamos
  • (d) tartamudearíamos

Answer: (c) tartamudeamos. The we form in the present is tartamudeamos.

9. What is the I form of tartamudear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) tartamudeé
  • (b) tartamudeó
  • (c) habíamos tartamudeado
  • (d) tartamudearíamos

Answer: (a) tartamudeé. The I form in the preterite is tartamudeé.

10. What is the they form of tartamudear in the present tense?

  • (a) habría tartamudeado
  • (b) habrás tartamudeado
  • (c) tartamudean
  • (d) tartamudeemos

Answer: (c) tartamudean. The they form in the present is tartamudean.

Frequently asked questions about tartamudear

Is tartamudear regular?

Yes. Tartamudear is a regular -ar verb: tartamudeo, tartamudeas, tartamudea. See the full conjugation of tartamudear for every tense.

What is the past participle of tartamudear?

The past participle is tartamudeado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he tartamudeado. The gerund is tartamudeando, used with estar: estoy tartamudeando.

How do I say “I stutter” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo tartamudeé al hablar en público. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo tartamudeaba a veces.

How can I practise tartamudear?

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.

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