Spanish Verbs Letter "O"

In this module, we will explore 37 common Spanish verbs beginning with the letter “O.” You will learn their English translations, how to use them in sentences, and practice using them in different tenses (present, past, and future). These verbs will allow you to expand your vocabulary and enhance your ability to express a wide range of actions.

Obedecer – to obey

Observar – to observe

Obstaculizar – to obstruct

Obtener – to obtain

Ocultar – to hide

Ocurrir – to occur

Ofender – to offend

Ofrecer – to offer

Ofuscar – to dazzle, to confuse

Ofuscarse – to become confused, to get flustered

Oír – to hear

Oler – to smell

Olisquear – to sniff

Olvidar – to forget

Operar – to operate

Operarse – to have surgery

Opinar – to express an opinion

Opacar – to overshadow

Oponerse – to oppose

Optar – to opt

Obligar – to obligate, to force

Obsequiar – to give as a gift

Obviar – to omit, to avoid

Organizar – to organize

Organizarse – to get organized

Orientar – to guide, to orient

Orar – to pray

Ordenar – to order, to tidy

Ordenarse – to become ordained

Orquestar – to orchestrate

Oscilar – to oscillate

Oscurecer – to darken

Ostentar – to flaunt, to boast

Otear – to scan, to observe from a distance

Otorgar – to grant

Otorgarse – to be granted

Oprimir – to oppress, to press

Verbs in Sentences:

Obedecer – (oh-beh-deh-SEHR) – to obey

Present: Yo obedezco las reglas de tráfico. – I obey the traffic rules.

Past: Él obedeció a su maestro en todo momento. – He obeyed his teacher at all times.

Future: Nosotros obedeceremos las órdenes del líder. – We will obey the leader’s orders.

 

Observar – (ohb-sehr-VAHR) – to observe

Present: Observamos las estrellas por la noche. – We observe the stars at night.

Past: Ellos observaron un comportamiento extraño. – They observed strange behavior.

Future: ¿Observarás el eclipse solar mañana? – Will you observe the solar eclipse tomorrow?

 

Obstaculizar – (ohb-stah-koo-lee-SAHR) – to obstruct

Present: No debemos obstaculizar el progreso. – We must not obstruct progress.

Past: El accidente obstaculizó el tráfico. – The accident obstructed traffic.

Future: Esa política no obstaculizará el desarrollo. – That policy will not obstruct development.

 

Obtener – (ohb-teh-NEHR) – to obtain

Present: Obtengo buenos resultados con esfuerzo. – I obtain good results with effort.

Past: María obtuvo su diploma la semana pasada. – María obtained her diploma last week.

Future: Ellos obtendrán la información necesaria. – They will obtain the necessary information.

 

Ocultar – (oh-kool-TAHR) – to hide

Present: Ella oculta sus sentimientos muy bien. – She hides her feelings very well.

Past: Ocultamos el regalo para que fuera una sorpresa. – We hid the gift so it would be a surprise.

Future: ¿Ocultarán la verdad del público? – Will they hide the truth from the public?

 

Ocurrir – (oh-koo-REER) – to occur

Present: ¿Qué ocurre aquí? – What is happening here?

Past: El accidente ocurrió anoche. – The accident occurred last night.

Future: Algo emocionante ocurrirá pronto. – Something exciting will occur soon.

 

Ofender – (oh-fehn-DEHR) – to offend

Present: No quiero ofenderte con mis palabras. – I don’t want to offend you with my words.

Past: Él no ofendió a nadie durante la reunión. – He didn’t offend anyone during the meeting.

Future: Prometo que no te ofenderé. – I promise I won’t offend you.

 

Ofrecer – (oh-freh-SEHR) – to offer

Present: Ofrezco mi ayuda cuando alguien la necesita. – I offer my help when someone needs it.

Past: Ellos ofrecieron una solución al problema. – They offered a solution to the problem.

Future: ¿Ofrecerás tu opinión en la reunión? – Will you offer your opinion in the meeting?

 

Ofuscar – (oh-foos-KAHR) – to dazzle, to confuse

Present: La luz del sol ofusca mis ojos. – The sunlight dazzles my eyes.

Past: El humo ofuscó nuestra visión. – The smoke obscured our vision.

Future: Ese comentario ofuscará a los participantes. – That comment will confuse the participants.

 

Ofuscarse – (oh-foos-KAHR-seh) – to become confused, to get flustered

Present: Ella se ofusca fácilmente en situaciones de estrés. – She gets flustered easily in stressful situations.

Past: Me ofusqué al intentar resolver el problema. – I got flustered while trying to solve the problem.

Future: No te ofuscarás si mantienes la calma. – You won’t get flustered if you stay calm.

 

Oír – (oh-EER) – to hear

Present: Yo oigo música todos los días. – I hear music every day.

Past: Oí un ruido extraño en la noche. – I heard a strange noise at night.

Future: Ella oirá noticias importantes pronto. – She will hear important news soon.

 

Oler – (oh-LEHR) – to smell

Present: Esta flor huele increíble. – This flower smells amazing.

Past: Oliste el aroma del pastel recién horneado. – You smelled the aroma of the freshly baked cake.

Future: Ellos olerán el perfume en la tienda. – They will smell the perfume in the store.

 

Olisquear – (oh-lees-KEH-ahr) – to sniff

Present: El perro olisquea el suelo en el parque. – The dog sniffs the ground in the park.

Past: El gato olisqueó la comida antes de probarla. – The cat sniffed the food before tasting it.

Future: Los perros olisquearán el área para buscar pistas. – The dogs will sniff the area to look for clues.

 

Olvidar – (ohl-vee-DAHR) – to forget

Present: Nunca olvido mi teléfono en casa. – I never forget my phone at home.

Past: Juan olvidó las llaves del coche. – Juan forgot the car keys.

Future: No olvidaré esta experiencia. – I won’t forget this experience.

 

Operar – (oh-peh-RAHR) – to operate

Present: El médico opera a los pacientes con precisión. – The doctor operates on patients with precision.

Past: Operaron la máquina durante todo el día. – They operated the machine all day.

Future: Nosotros operaremos un nuevo sistema pronto. – We will operate a new system soon.

 

Operarse – (oh-peh-RAHR-seh) – to have surgery

Present: Ella se opera mañana del corazón. – She is having heart surgery tomorrow.

Past: Me operé de la rodilla el año pasado. – I had knee surgery last year.

Future: Él se operará para mejorar su visión. – He will have surgery to improve his vision.

 

Opinar – (oh-pee-NAHR) – to express an opinion

Present: Yo opino que deberíamos esperar. – I think we should wait.

Past: Opiné sobre el tema en la reunión. – I expressed my opinion about the topic in the meeting.

Future: ¿Qué opinarás sobre el proyecto mañana? – What will you think about the project tomorrow?

 

Opacar – (oh-pah-KAHR) – to overshadow

Present: Sus logros no opacan tus esfuerzos. – His achievements don’t overshadow your efforts.

Past: Un pequeño error opacó su excelente presentación. – A small mistake overshadowed her excellent presentation.

Future: Nada opacará el brillo de esta celebración. – Nothing will overshadow the brightness of this celebration.

 

Oponerse – (oh-poh-NEHR-seh) – to oppose

Present: Me opongo a esa decisión. – I oppose that decision.

Past: Se opusieron a la nueva ley. – They opposed the new law.

Future: Nos opondremos a cualquier injusticia. – We will oppose any injustice.

 

Optar – (ohp-TAHR) – to opt

Present: Opto por una vida más saludable. – I opt for a healthier life.

Past: Optamos por viajar en tren en lugar de avión. – We opted to travel by train instead of by plane.

Future: Ellos optarán por un cambio en las políticas. – They will opt for a change in policies.

 

Obligar – (oh-blee-GAHR) – to force, to oblige

Present: La situación nos obliga a tomar decisiones rápidas. – The situation forces us to make quick decisions.

Past: Nos obligaron a cambiar el plan en el último momento. – They forced us to change the plan at the last minute.

Future: La ley obligará a todos a cumplir con las normas. – The law will oblige everyone to comply with the rules.

 

Obsequiar – (ohb-seh-kee-AHR) – to give as a gift

Present: Ella obsequia flores a su madre. – She gives flowers to her mother as a gift.

Past: Obsequiamos un libro al profesor. – We gave the teacher a book as a gift.

Future: Él obsequiará un detalle especial a su novia. – He will give a special gift to his girlfriend.

 

Obviar – (ohb-BYAHR) – to omit, to overlook

Present: No debemos obviar los detalles importantes. – We must not overlook the important details.

Past: El informe obvió varios datos relevantes. – The report omitted several relevant facts.

Future: Obviaremos los errores menores esta vez. – We will overlook the minor mistakes this time.

 

Organizar – (ohr-gah-nee-SAHR) – to organize

Present: Ellos organizan eventos muy interesantes. – They organize very interesting events.

Past: Nosotros organizamos una fiesta increíble anoche. – We organized an incredible party last night.

Future: ¿Organizarás la reunión mañana? – Will you organize the meeting tomorrow?

 

Organizarse – (ohr-gah-nee-SAHR-seh) – to get organized

Present: Nos organizamos para trabajar en equipo. – We organize ourselves to work as a team.

Past: Ellos se organizaron para completar el proyecto a tiempo. – They got organized to complete the project on time.

Future: ¿Te organizarás mejor el próximo año? – Will you organize yourself better next year?

 

Orientar – (oh-ree-en-TAHR) – to guide, to orient

Present: El mapa me orienta cuando estoy perdido. – The map guides me when I’m lost.

Past: Orientaron a los turistas en la ciudad. – They guided the tourists around the city.

Future: ¿Orientarás a los nuevos estudiantes en su primer día? – Will you guide the new students on their first day?

 

Orar – (oh-RAHR) – to pray

Present: Ella ora todas las noches antes de dormir. – She prays every night before going to sleep.

Past: Oramos juntos en el servicio del domingo pasado. – We prayed together at last Sunday’s service.

Future: ¿Orarás por la paz mundial mañana? – Will you pray for world peace tomorrow?

 

Ordenar – (ohr-deh-NAHR) – to order, to tidy

Present: Ordeno mi cuarto cada fin de semana. – I tidy my room every weekend.

Past: Él ordenó una pizza para la cena. – He ordered a pizza for dinner.

Future: Nosotros ordenaremos los papeles esta tarde. – We will organize the papers this afternoon.

 

Ordenarse – (ohr-deh-NAHR-seh) – to become ordained

Present: Él se ordena como sacerdote este año. – He is becoming ordained as a priest this year.

Past: Se ordenó como monja el año pasado. – She was ordained as a nun last year.

Future: Ellos se ordenarán en la ceremonia del próximo mes. – They will become ordained at next month’s ceremony.

 

Orquestar – (ohr-kehs-TAHR) – to orchestrate

Present: El director orquesta el concierto con precisión. – The conductor orchestrates the concert with precision.

Past: Orquestaron un plan para resolver el problema. – They orchestrated a plan to solve the problem.

Future: Nosotros orquestaremos un evento importante el próximo mes. – We will orchestrate an important event next month.

 

Oscilar – (oh-see-LAHR) – to oscillate

Present: El ventilador oscila de un lado a otro. – The fan oscillates from side to side.

Past: La lámpara osciló debido al viento. – The lamp oscillated due to the wind.

Future: El péndulo oscilará más lentamente con el tiempo. – The pendulum will oscillate more slowly over time.

 

Oscurecer – (ohs-koo-reh-SEHR) – to darken

Present: El cielo se oscurece antes de la tormenta. – The sky darkens before the storm.

Past: El cuarto se oscureció cuando apagaron las luces. – The room darkened when the lights were turned off.

Future: La noche oscurecerá temprano en invierno. – The night will darken early in winter.

 

Ostentar – (ohs-tehn-TAHR) – to boast, to flaunt

Present: Ella ostenta un estilo de vida lujoso. – She flaunts a luxurious lifestyle.

Past: Él ostentó sus logros en la conferencia. – He boasted about his achievements at the conference.

Future: No ostentarán su riqueza frente a los demás. – They will not flaunt their wealth in front of others.

 

Otear – (oh-teh-AHR) – to scan, to observe from a distance

Present: El vigía otea el horizonte desde la torre. – The lookout scans the horizon from the tower.

Past: Oteamos el paisaje desde la cima de la montaña. – We scanned the landscape from the top of the mountain.

Future: Otearás el área para asegurarte de que esté despejada. – You will scan the area to ensure it’s clear.

 

Otorgar – (oh-tohr-GAHR) – to grant

Present: El gobierno otorga becas a estudiantes destacados. – The government grants scholarships to outstanding students.

Past: Le otorgaron un premio por su trabajo. – They granted him an award for his work.

Future: Ella otorgará permisos especiales mañana. – She will grant special permissions tomorrow.

 

Otorgarse – (oh-tohr-GAHR-seh) – to be granted

Present: Este premio se otorga cada dos años. – This award is granted every two years.

Past: La beca se otorgó a estudiantes de bajos recursos. – The scholarship was granted to low-income students.

Future: La ayuda se otorgará a las familias afectadas por el desastre. – Aid will be granted to families affected by the disaster.

 

Oprimir – (oh-pree-MEER) – to oppress, to press

Present: No debemos oprimir a otros con nuestras acciones. – We must not oppress others with our actions.

Past: Oprimí el botón para detener la máquina. – I pressed the button to stop the machine.

Future: Ellos no oprimirán a los ciudadanos en el futuro. – They will not oppress the citizens in the future.

 

End of Module Review

In this section, we’ve covered 37 Spanish verbs starting with “O.” These verbs are widely used and can help you express actions and states across various situations. Practicing these in different tenses will help you become more versatile in speaking and writing Spanish.