Introduction
Tolerar means “to tolerate”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Tolerar means to tolerate, and it is used for tolerating noise, heat, pain and other people's opinions: tolerar el ruido, tolerar las críticas. It is a fully regular -ar verb. This page shows tolerar 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: “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerate the building-site noise.
Tolerar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how tolerar 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 tolerar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Tolero el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerate the building-site noise.
“¿Toleras el calor del verano?” — Do you tolerate the summer heat?
“Tolera las críticas en el trabajo.” — He/she tolerates criticism at work.
“Nosotros toleramos a su vecino ruidoso.” — We tolerate his noisy neighbour.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show tolerar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo toleré el ruido de la obra.” — Yesterday, I tolerated the building-site noise. (preterite)
“Antes, él toleraba el calor del verano.” — Before, he used to tolerate the summer 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 tolerar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros toleraremos las críticas en el trabajo.” — Tomorrow, we will tolerate criticism at work. (future)
“¿Tú has tolerado a su vecino ruidoso?” — Have you tolerated his noisy neighbour? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros toleráis el ruido de la obra.” — You tolerate the building-site noise.
“Ellos toleran el calor del verano.” — They tolerate the summer heat.
“Yo tolero las críticas en el trabajo.” — I tolerate criticism at work.
“Mi padre tolera a su vecino ruidoso.” — My father tolerates his noisy neighbour.
Tolerar 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 tolerar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú toleras el calor del verano?” — Do you tolerate the summer heat?
Pedro: “Sí, yo tolero el ruido de la obra.” — Yes, I tolerate the building-site noise.
Marta: “Nosotros toleramos a su vecino ruidoso.” — We tolerate his noisy neighbour.
Pedro: “Y ellos toleran el calor del verano.” — And they tolerate the summer heat.
Marta: “Vosotros toleráis las críticas en el trabajo.” — You tolerate criticism at work.
Pedro: “Sí, y él tolera el ruido de la obra.” — Yes, and he tolerates the building-site noise.
A short paragraph
Tolera el ruido de la obra, y nosotros toleramos a su vecino ruidoso. Yo tolero el calor del verano, y ellos toleran las críticas en el trabajo. Tolerar is part of everyday life, because tolerate is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with tolerar
These are the errors learners actually make with tolerar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo tolera el ruido de la obra.” Right: “Yo tolero el ruido de la obra.” Why: The person matters: tolera is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is tolero. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo tolero el calor del verano.” Right: “Ayer yo toleré el calor del verano.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: tolero is happening now, while toleré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating tolerar and soportar as identical in every context.” Right: “Tolerar means to tolerate, while soportar means to put up with.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: tolerar fits sentences such as Tolero el ruido de la obra, while soportar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy tolerado el calor del verano.” Right: “Yo he tolerado el calor del verano.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tolerado, has tolerado, ha tolerado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo toleré las críticas en el trabajo todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo toleraba las críticas en el trabajo todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (toleraba), not the preterite. The preterite (toleré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: tolerar in use
Ten questions on tolerar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el ruido de la obra.” (You tolerate the building-site noise.)
- (a) toleráis
- (b) tolero
- (c) toleras
Answer: toleráis — The vosotros/as form of tolerar in the present tense is toleráis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el calor del verano.” (They tolerate the summer heat.)
- (a) toleras
- (b) toleran
- (c) tolero
Answer: toleran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of tolerar in the present tense is toleran.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ el ruido de la obra.” (Yesterday I tolerated the building-site noise.)
- (a) toleraste
- (b) toleró
- (c) toleré
Answer: toleré — In the preterite, the yo form of tolerar is toleré.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el calor del verano.” (Before, he used to tolerate the summer heat.)
- (a) toleraba
- (b) tolero
- (c) tolerabas
Answer: toleraba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of tolerar is toleraba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ las críticas en el trabajo.” (Tomorrow we will tolerate criticism at work.)
- (a) tolerarás
- (b) toleraremos
- (c) toleraré
Answer: toleraremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of tolerar is toleraremos.
6. What does tolerar mean in English?
- (a) to tolerate
- (b) to testify
- (c) to put up with
Answer: to tolerate — Tolerar means “to tolerate”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo tolera el ruido de la obra.
- (b) Ellos tolera el calor del verano.
- (c) Yo tolero el ruido de la obra.
Answer: Yo tolero el ruido de la obra. — “Yo tolero el ruido de la obra.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I tolerate the building-site noise.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre tolera a su vecino ruidoso.
- (b) Tolero el ruido de la obra.
- (c) Toleran el ruido de la obra.
Answer: Tolero el ruido de la obra. — “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of tolerar in the present tense?
- (a) tolero
- (b) toleras
- (c) toleramos
Answer: toleramos — The nosotros form is toleramos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros toleraremos las críticas en el trabajo.
- (b) Tolero el ruido de la obra.
- (c) Ayer, yo toleré el ruido de la obra.
Answer: Tolero el ruido de la obra. — “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I tolerate the building-site noise' in Spanish?
Say 'Tolero el ruido de la obra'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Tolero el ruido de la obra todos los días'.
How do you say 'He tolerates the summer heat' in Spanish?
Say 'Él tolera el calor del verano'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes tolera.
What is the difference between tolerar and soportar?
Tolerar means to tolerate, while soportar means to put up with. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use tolerar when you mean to tolerate, as in 'Tolero el ruido de la obra', and use soportar for to put up with.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of tolerar — every tense of tolerar in one place.
- Tolerar 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 tolerar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of tolerar until they are automatic.