Anotar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

anotar means “to note down” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Anotar means to note down, and it is the verb of notebooks, agendas and margins: you note down an address, a phone number, a date, an idea. It is a regular -ar verb and one of the first verbs learners use in class. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of anotar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the anotar present tense page.

anotar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with anotar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda. — I note down the address in my diary.
  2. Él/Ella anota el número de teléfono. — He notes down the phone number.
  3. Nosotros/as anotamos la fecha del examen. — We note down the exam date.
  4. Ellos/as anotan una idea en el cuaderno. — They note down an idea in the notebook.

In the past

Four sentences with anotar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo anoté la fecha del examen. — Yesterday, I noted down the exam date.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as anotábamos una idea en el cuaderno. — Before, We used to note down an idea in the notebook.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella anotó la dirección en mi agenda. — Yesterday, He noted down the address in my diary.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as anotaban el número de teléfono. — As children, They used to note down the phone number.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with anotar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú anotarás la dirección en mi agenda. — Tomorrow, You will note down the address in my diary.
  2. Yo anotaría el número de teléfono. — I would note down the phone number.
  3. Espero que él anote la fecha del examen. — I hope he notes down the exam date.
  4. Él/Ella ha anotado una idea en el cuaderno. — He has noted down an idea in the notebook.

anotar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú anotas la dirección en mi agenda mañana? — Are you going to note down the address in my diary tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda todos los días. — Yes, I note down the address in my diary every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana anotarás el número de teléfono? — And tomorrow, will you note down the phone number? Luis: Claro, mañana anotaré el número de teléfono sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will note down the phone number without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo anotaré la fecha del examen también. — Perfect. I will note down the exam date too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer anoté la fecha del examen. — Yesterday, I noted down the exam date. Ana: ¿Y antes anotabas una idea en el cuaderno? — And before, did you use to note down an idea in the notebook? Luis: Sí, antes anotaba una idea en el cuaderno todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to note down an idea in the notebook every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos anotaron la dirección en mi agenda? — And did your brothers noted down the address in my diary? Luis: Sí, ellos anotaron la dirección en mi agenda por la tarde. — Yes, they noted down the address in my diary in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo anota la dirección en mi agenda. — Right: Yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda. — The person matters: anota is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is anoto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating anotar and apuntar as identical in every context. — Right: Anotar means to note down, while apuntar means to note down, the close synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: anotar fits sentences such as Anoto la dirección en mi agenda, while apuntar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy anotado el número de teléfono. — Right: Yo he anotado el número de teléfono. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he anotado, has anotado, ha anotado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo anoté la fecha del examen todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo anotaba la fecha del examen todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (anotaba), not the preterite. The preterite (anoté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on anotar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ una idea en el cuaderno. (present tense) A. anotan B. anoto C. anotas D. anota

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ la dirección en mi agenda. (preterite tense) A. anoté B. anotaste C. anotó D. anotamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el número de teléfono. (imperfect tense) A. anotábamos B. anotabais C. anotabas D. anotaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la fecha del examen. (future tense) A. anotaremos B. anotará C. anotaré D. anotarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una idea en el cuaderno. (conditional tense) A. anotaríamos B. anotaría C. anotarías D. anotaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ la dirección en mi agenda. (present-perfect tense) A. has anotado B. ha anotado C. hemos anotado D. he anotado

  7. What does anotar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to note down D. to note down, the close synonym

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo anoté la fecha del examen. B. Yo anota la dirección en mi agenda. C. Yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda. D. Él/Ella anota el número de teléfono.

  9. Which is the gerund of anotar, used with estar for the progressive? A. anotando B. anotado C. anoto D. anoté

  10. Which is the past participle of anotar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. anotando B. anoto C. anoté D. anotado

Answer key

  1. anotan — The correct form here is anotan.
  2. anotamos — The correct form here is anotamos.
  3. anotabas — The correct form here is anotabas.
  4. anotará — The correct form here is anotará.
  5. anotaríamos — The correct form here is anotaríamos.
  6. he anotado — The correct form here is he anotado.
  7. to note down — Anotar means to note down. Apuntar means to note down, the close synonym, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo anota la dirección en mi agenda. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda.. The person matters: anota is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is anoto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. anotando — The gerund of anotar is anotando: estoy anotando.
  10. anotado — The past participle of anotar is anotado: he anotado, has anotado, ha anotado.

Frequently asked questions

What does anotar mean?

Anotar means to note down. Anotar means to note down, and it is the verb of notebooks, agendas and margins: you note down an address, a phone number, a date, an idea. It is a regular -ar verb and one of the first verbs learners use in class.

When do people use anotar most?

People use anotar most in everyday situations such as Yo anoto la dirección en mi agenda. and Ayer, Yo anoté la fecha del examen.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between anotar and apuntar?

Anotar means to note down, while apuntar means to note down, the close synonym. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of anotar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of anotar as your reference, the anotar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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