Barrer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
The Spanish verb barrer means to sweep. You can learn its forms from the full barrer conjugation, but forms on their own are not enough: you need to see the verb in real sentences, in conversation, and in the mistakes people actually make. That is what this page is for. Below you will find example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the common mistakes, a ten-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions learners ask most. One sentence to start: Yo barro la cocina. — "I sweep the kitchen."
Barrer example sentences
Everyday use — the present tense
- Yo barro la cocina. — "I sweep the kitchen."
- Tú barres el suelo. — "you sweep the floor."
- Él barre el patio. — "he/she sweeps the patio."
- Nosotros barremos todos los días. — "we sweep every day."
Talking about the past
- Yo barrí el patio. — "I swept the patio."
- Él barría todos los días. — "he/she used to sweep every day."
- Nosotros barrimos por la mañana. — "we swept in the morning."
Plans and wishes
- Yo barreré por la mañana. — "I will sweep in the morning."
- Tú barrerías con una escoba nueva. — "you would sweep with a new broom."
More examples with barrer
- Barro la cocina todos los días. — "I sweep the kitchen every day."
- Mi abuela barre el patio por la mañana. — "My grandmother sweeps the patio in the morning."
- Ayer barrí el suelo con una escoba nueva. — "Yesterday I swept the floor with a new broom."
- De niña, barría el patio con mi hermana. — "As a girl, I used to sweep the patio with my sister."
- Mañana barreré la cocina antes de que lleguen los invitados. — "Tomorrow I will sweep the kitchen before the guests arrive."
- Si tuviera una escoba mejor, barrería más rápido. — "If I had a better broom, I would sweep faster."
Barrer in conversation
Two short dialogues using barrer naturally. Read them out loud: hearing the verb in a question and an answer is the fastest way to make the forms stick.
Dialogue 1: making plans
María: ¿Tú barres la cocina? Carlos: Sí, yo barro la cocina. ¿Y tú? María: Yo también. ¿Barre el suelo? Carlos: Sí, él barre el suelo todos los días. María: ¿Y mañana? ¿Tú barrerás el patio? Carlos: Sí, mañana yo barreré el patio.
In this dialogue María asks Carlos what he does, and then they talk about tomorrow. Notice how the verb changes with the person: barres for tú, barro for yo, barre for él. The future forms at the end (barrerás, barreré) show the same verb talking about tomorrow.
Dialogue 2: talking about yesterday
Ana: ¿Tú barres todos los días? Luis: Sí, yo barro todos los días. ¿Y tú? Ana: Yo también. ¿Barre por la mañana? Luis: Sí, él barre por la mañana todos los días. Ana: ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú barriste todos los días? Luis: Sí, ayer yo barrí todos los días.
Here Ana asks Luis about yesterday, so the answers use the preterite: barrí for yo, barriste for tú. The preterite is the right choice because yesterday is finished; the present would describe a habit instead.
Common mistakes with barrer in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.
1. Yo barre la cocina.
Wrong: Yo barre la cocina.
Right: Yo barro la cocina.
Barrer is an -er verb, so the yo present ends in -o: barro. Barre is the él/ella form.
2. Ayer yo barro el suelo.
Wrong: Ayer yo barro el suelo.
Right: Ayer yo barrí el suelo.
A finished action yesterday needs the preterite: barrí. Barro is the present tense.
3. Confusing barrer with ordenar
Wrong: Barro mi habitación.
Right: Ordeno mi habitación.
Barrer is sweeping the floor with a broom; ordenar is putting things in order. You barres el suelo and ordenas la habitación — different chores.
4. Using the present for a finished past action
Wrong: Ayer yo barro la cocina.
Right: Ayer yo barrí la cocina.
Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: barrí. The present describes what you do now or usually.
Quiz: barrer in use
Ten questions across five tenses. Choose the right form for each sentence, then check the answers at the end of this section.
- Tú ___ la cocina (present)
- a) barres
- b) barro
- c) barre
- d) barremos
- Nosotros ___ el suelo (preterite)
- a) barrí
- b) barriste
- c) barrió
- d) barrimos
- Ellos ___ el patio (imperfect)
- a) barrías
- b) barría
- c) barrían
- d) barría
- Tú ___ todos los días (future)
- a) barreremos
- b) barrerás
- c) barreré
- d) barrerá
- Nosotros ___ por la mañana (conditional)
- a) barreríamos
- b) barrería
- c) barrerías
- d) barrería
- Ellos ___ con una escoba nueva (present)
- a) barro
- b) barres
- c) barre
- d) barren
- Tú ___ la cocina (preterite)
- a) barrió
- b) barrimos
- c) barriste
- d) barrí
- Nosotros ___ el suelo (imperfect)
- a) barría
- b) barríamos
- c) barría
- d) barrías
- Ellos ___ el patio (future)
- a) barrerán
- b) barreré
- c) barrerás
- d) barrerá
- Tú ___ todos los días (conditional)
- a) barrería
- b) barrería
- c) barreríamos
- d) barrerías
Answers
- a) barres — the present form, for tú.
- d) barrimos — the preterite form, for nosotros/as.
- c) barrían — the imperfect form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- b) barrerás — the future form, for tú.
- a) barreríamos — the conditional form, for nosotros/as.
- d) barren — the present form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- c) barriste — the preterite form, for tú.
- b) barríamos — the imperfect form, for nosotros/as.
- a) barrerán — the future form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- d) barrerías — the conditional form, for tú.
Frequently asked questions about barrer
Is barrer regular?
Yes, barrer is a regular -er verb: barro, barres, barre, barremos, barréis, barren. The double r stays in every form.
What is the difference between barrer and limpiar?
Barrer is specifically sweeping with a broom. Limpiar is the general word for cleaning, which can mean sweeping, washing or dusting.
What are the gerund and the past participle of barrer?
The gerund is barriendo, used with estar for the progressive (estoy barriendo), and the past participle is barrido, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he barrido).
Is barrer regular?
Yes, it is a regular -er verb. The present is barro, barres, barre, barremos, barréis, barren, and the full tables are on the barrer conjugation page.
How to remember barrer
Four small habits will fix barrer in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: barro, barres, barre, barremos, barréis, barren. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (barro), one about yesterday with the preterite (barrí), and one about tomorrow with the future (barreré). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from ordenar: Barrer is sweeping the floor with a broom; ordenar is putting things in order. You barres el suelo and ordenas la habitación — different chores. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund barriendo and the past participle barrido. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy barriendo) and the present perfect (he barrido), which covers most everyday conversation.
Related pages
- Barrer conjugation: full tables — every tense of barrer on one page.
- Barrer Present tense — the deep dive on barrer in the present.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for all Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Spanish verb quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Conjugation practice — fill-in-the-blank drills with instant feedback.