Cenar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb cenar means to have dinner, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cenar means to have dinner or to eat supper, and it names the last meal of the day, which in Spain is often eaten late, around nine or ten at night. Like desayunar and almorzar it takes the food as a direct object, and it is fully regular, so it is a safe verb to practise the -ar endings on. Like every Spanish verb, cenar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say ceno a las nueve en casa, and in the preterite you say cené sopa y ensalada. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: cenar
- English: to have dinner
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: cenando
- Past participle: cenado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cenado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cenar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cenar is fully regular — cené, cenaba, cenaré — so use it to drill the -ar endings without surprises.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cenar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ceno |
| tú | cenas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cena |
| nosotros/as | cenamos |
| vosotros/as | cenáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cené |
| tú | cenaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cenó |
| nosotros/as | cenamos |
| vosotros/as | cenasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cenaba |
| tú | cenabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cenaba |
| nosotros/as | cenábamos |
| vosotros/as | cenabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cenaré |
| tú | cenarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cenará |
| nosotros/as | cenaremos |
| vosotros/as | cenaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cenaría |
| tú | cenarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cenaría |
| nosotros/as | cenaríamos |
| vosotros/as | cenaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cenado |
| tú | has cenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cenado |
| nosotros/as | hemos cenado |
| vosotros/as | habéis cenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cenado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cenado |
| tú | habías cenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cenado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cenado |
| vosotros/as | habíais cenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cenado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cenado |
| tú | habrás cenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cenado |
| nosotros/as | habremos cenado |
| vosotros/as | habréis cenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cenado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cenado |
| tú | habrías cenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cenado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cenado |
| vosotros/as | habríais cenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cenado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cene |
| tú | cenes |
| él/ella/Ud. | cene |
| nosotros/as | cenemos |
| vosotros/as | cenéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cenara |
| tú | cenaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cenara |
| nosotros/as | cenáramos |
| vosotros/as | cenarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cena |
| él/ella/Ud. | cene |
| nosotros/as | cenemos |
| vosotros/as | cenad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cenes |
| él/ella/Ud. | cene |
| nosotros/as | cenemos |
| vosotros/as | cenéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cenen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | cenando | with estar for the progressive: estoy cenando |
| Past participle | cenado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he cenado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ceno a las nueve en casa. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cené con amigos el viernes. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cenaba sopa y ensalada. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, cenaré fuera el sábado por la noche. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cenaría a las nueve en casa si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cenado con amigos el viernes. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cenado sopa y ensalada antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cenado fuera el sábado por la noche. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cenado a las nueve en casa con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cene con amigos el viernes. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cenara sopa y ensalada, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Cena fuera el sábado por la noche! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cenar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No cenes a las nueve en casa. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with cenar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ceno a las nueve en casa. — I have dinner at nine at home.
- Cena con amigos el viernes. — He/she has dinner with friends on Fridays.
- Ayer, cené sopa y ensalada. — Yesterday, I had dinner soup and salad.
- Antes, nosotros cenábamos fuera el sábado por la noche. — Before, we used to have dinner out on Saturday night.
- Mañana, tú cenarás a las nueve en casa. — Tomorrow, you will have dinner at nine at home.
- Yo cenaría con amigos el viernes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would have dinner with friends on Fridays if I had more time.
- Él ha cenado sopa y ensalada. — He has had dinner soup and salad.
- Espero que él cene fuera el sábado por la noche. — I hope he has dinner out on Saturday night.
- Yo ya había cenado a las nueve en casa antes de salir. — I had already had dinner at nine at home before leaving.
- Ellos cenaban con amigos el viernes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to have dinner with friends on Fridays when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo cena a las nueve en casa. — Right: Yo ceno a las nueve en casa. — The person matters: cena is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ceno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo ceno con amigos el viernes. — Right: Ayer yo cené con amigos el viernes. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: ceno is happening now, while cené is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating cenar and desayunar as identical in every context. — Right: Cenar means to have dinner, while desayunar means to have breakfast. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cenar fits sentences such as Ceno a las nueve en casa, while desayunar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy cenado con amigos el viernes. — Right: Yo he cenado con amigos el viernes. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cenado, has cenado, ha cenado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo cené sopa y ensalada todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cenaba sopa y ensalada todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cenaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cené) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cenar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las nueve en casa. (present tense) A. ceno B. cenas C. cena D. cenamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con amigos el viernes. (preterite) A. cené B. cenaste C. cenaron D. cenó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ sopa y ensalada. (imperfect) A. cenabas B. cenaban C. cenábamos D. cenaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ fuera el sábado por la noche. (future) A. cenaremos B. cenarás C. cenaré D. cenará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las nueve en casa si pudiera. (conditional) A. cenaría B. cenarías C. cenarían D. ceno
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con amigos el viernes. (present subjunctive) A. cenes B. cenemos C. ceno D. cene
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ sopa y ensalada, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cenáramos B. ceno C. cenara D. cenaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ fuera el sábado por la noche. (present perfect) A. han cenado B. hemos cenado C. he cenado D. has cenado
Complete the command: ¡___ a las nueve en casa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. cena B. cene C. cenemos D. cenad
Which is the gerund of cenar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cenado B. ceno C. cené D. cenando
Answer key
- ceno — The first-person present of cenar is ceno. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- cenó — The third-person preterite of cenar is cenó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- cenábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cenar is cenábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- cenarás — The second-person future of cenar is cenarás.
- cenaría — The first-person conditional of cenar is cenaría, the form for what would happen.
- cene — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cenar is cene.
- cenara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cenar is cenara.
- hemos cenado — The nosotros present perfect of cenar is hemos cenado: hemos + cenado.
- cena — The affirmative tú imperative of cenar is cena.
- cenando — The gerund of cenar is cenando: estoy cenando. The participle cenado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does cenar mean in English?
Cenar means to have dinner. It is used in everyday situations such as Ceno a las nueve en casa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is cenar regular or irregular?
Cenar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including ceno in the present and cené in the preterite.
What is the difference between cenar and desayunar?
Cenar means to have dinner, while desayunar means to have breakfast. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cenar when you mean to have dinner, as in Ceno a las nueve en casa, and use desayunar for to have breakfast. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I have dinner” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cené con amigos el viernes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cenaba sopa y ensalada. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cenado con amigos el viernes.
How do I practise cenar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cenar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cenar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for cenar.
- Cenar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cenar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Almorzar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cenar.
- Desayunar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cenar.
- Respirar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cenar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.