Introduction
Transmitir means “to transmit”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Transmitir means to transmit or to broadcast, and it covers transmitting a programme, a disease, a feeling and a message: transmitir un partido, transmitir una emoción. It is a regular -ir verb, common in media, medicine and communication. This page shows transmitir 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: “Transmito un partido en directo.” — I transmit a match live.
Transmitir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how transmitir 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 transmitir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Transmito un partido en directo.” — I transmit a match live.
“¿Transmites una enfermedad por el aire?” — Do you transmit a disease through the air?
“Transmite una emoción con la música.” — He/she transmits an emotion with music.
“Nosotros transmitimos el mensaje al equipo.” — We transmit the message to the team.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show transmitir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo transmití un partido en directo.” — Yesterday, I transmitted a match live. (preterite)
“Antes, él transmitía una enfermedad por el aire.” — Before, he used to transmit a disease through the air. (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 transmitir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros transmitiremos una emoción con la música.” — Tomorrow, we will transmit an emotion with music. (future)
“¿Tú has transmitido el mensaje al equipo?” — Have you transmitted the message to the team? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros transmitís un partido en directo.” — You transmit a match live.
“Ellos transmiten una enfermedad por el aire.” — They transmit a disease through the air.
“Yo transmito una emoción con la música.” — I transmit an emotion with music.
“Mi padre transmite el mensaje al equipo.” — My father transmits the message to the team.
Transmitir 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 transmitir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú transmites una enfermedad por el aire?” — Do you transmit a disease through the air?
Pedro: “Sí, yo transmito un partido en directo.” — Yes, I transmit a match live.
Marta: “Nosotros transmitimos el mensaje al equipo.” — We transmit the message to the team.
Pedro: “Y ellos transmiten una enfermedad por el aire.” — And they transmit a disease through the air.
Marta: “Vosotros transmitís una emoción con la música.” — You transmit an emotion with music.
Pedro: “Sí, y él transmite un partido en directo.” — Yes, and he transmits a match live.
A short paragraph
Transmite un partido en directo, y nosotros transmitimos el mensaje al equipo. Yo transmito una enfermedad por el aire, y ellos transmiten una emoción con la música. Transmitir is part of everyday life, because transmit is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with transmitir
These are the errors learners actually make with transmitir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo transmite un partido en directo.” Right: “Yo transmito un partido en directo.” Why: The person matters: transmite is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is transmito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo transmito una enfermedad por el aire.” Right: “Ayer yo transmití una enfermedad por el aire.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: transmito is happening now, while transmití is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating transmitir and emitir as identical in every context.” Right: “Transmitir means to transmit, while emitir means to emit, to broadcast.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: transmitir fits sentences such as Transmito un partido en directo, while emitir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy transmitido una enfermedad por el aire.” Right: “Yo he transmitido una enfermedad por el aire.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he transmitido, has transmitido, ha transmitido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo transmití una emoción con la música todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo transmitía una emoción con la música todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (transmitía), not the preterite. The preterite (transmití) is for one finished action.
Quiz: transmitir in use
Ten questions on transmitir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ un partido en directo.” (You transmit a match live.)
- (a) transmitís
- (b) transmito
- (c) transmites
Answer: transmitís — The vosotros/as form of transmitir in the present tense is transmitís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ una enfermedad por el aire.” (They transmit a disease through the air.)
- (a) transmites
- (b) transmiten
- (c) transmito
Answer: transmiten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of transmitir in the present tense is transmiten.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ un partido en directo.” (Yesterday I transmitted a match live.)
- (a) transmitiste
- (b) transmitió
- (c) transmití
Answer: transmití — In the preterite, the yo form of transmitir is transmití.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ una enfermedad por el aire.” (Before, he used to transmit a disease through the air.)
- (a) transmitía
- (b) transmito
- (c) transmitías
Answer: transmitía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of transmitir is transmitía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una emoción con la música.” (Tomorrow we will transmit an emotion with music.)
- (a) transmitirás
- (b) transmitiremos
- (c) transmitiré
Answer: transmitiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of transmitir is transmitiremos.
6. What does transmitir mean in English?
- (a) to transmit
- (b) to substitute
- (c) to emit, to broadcast
Answer: to transmit — Transmitir means “to transmit”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo transmite un partido en directo.
- (b) Ellos transmite una enfermedad por el aire.
- (c) Yo transmito un partido en directo.
Answer: Yo transmito un partido en directo. — “Yo transmito un partido en directo.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I transmit a match live.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre transmite el mensaje al equipo.
- (b) Transmito un partido en directo.
- (c) Transmiten un partido en directo.
Answer: Transmito un partido en directo. — “Transmito un partido en directo.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of transmitir in the present tense?
- (a) transmito
- (b) transmites
- (c) transmitimos
Answer: transmitimos — The nosotros form is transmitimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros transmitiremos una emoción con la música.
- (b) Transmito un partido en directo.
- (c) Ayer, yo transmití un partido en directo.
Answer: Transmito un partido en directo. — “Transmito un partido en directo.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I transmit a match live' in Spanish?
Say 'Transmito un partido en directo'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Transmito un partido en directo todos los días'.
How do you say 'He transmits a disease through the air' in Spanish?
Say 'Él transmite una enfermedad por el aire'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes transmite.
What is the difference between transmitir and emitir?
Transmitir means to transmit, while emitir means to emit, to broadcast. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use transmitir when you mean to transmit, as in 'Transmito un partido en directo', and use emitir for to emit, to broadcast.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of transmitir — every tense of transmitir in one place.
- Transmitir 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 transmitir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of transmitir until they are automatic.