Colar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

colar means "to strain" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows colar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of colar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with colar

Everyday use

Colar means to strain. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo colo la sopa — "I strain the soup"
  2. Él cola el caldo — "He strains the stock"
  3. Yo colé con un colador — "I strained with a strainer"
  4. Yo colaba la sopa — "I used to strain the soup"
  5. Yo colaré el caldo — "I will strain the stock"
  6. Yo he colado con un colador — "I have strained with a strainer"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él coló con un colador — "He strained with a strainer"
  2. Él colaba la sopa — "He used to strain the soup"
  3. Tú colarás el caldo — "You will strain the stock"
  4. Yo colaría con un colador — "I would strain with a strainer"
  5. Yo había colado la sopa — "I had strained the soup"
  6. Nosotros colamos el caldo — "We strain the stock"

Colar in conversation

The two dialogues below show colar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú colas la sopa? — "Do you strain the soup?"
  • Sí, yo colo la sopa cada día. — "Yes, I strain the soup every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú colaste el caldo? — "And yesterday? Did you strain the stock?"
  • Sí, yo colé el caldo. — "Yes, I strained the stock."
  • Mañana, yo colaré con un colador también. — "Tomorrow, I will strain with a strainer too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros coláis la sopa? — "Do you strain the soup?"
  • Sí, nosotros colamos la sopa los fines de semana. — "Yes, We strain the soup at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos colan el caldo? — "And them? Do they strain the stock?"
  • Sí, ellos colan el caldo también. — "Yes, They strain the stock too."
  • Mañana nosotros colaremos el caldo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will strain the stock again."

Useful phrases with colar

Four patterns you can use with colar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a colar la sopa. — "I am going to strain the soup."
  • Quiero colar el caldo. — "I want to strain the stock."
  • Me gusta colar con un colador. — "I like to strain with a strainer."
  • Acabo de colar la sopa. — "I have just strained the soup."

Common mistakes with colar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos cola la sopa.
  • Right: Ellos colan la sopa.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form colan. The singular cola belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo colé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo colo.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Yo soy colado el caldo.
  • Right: Yo he colado el caldo.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he colado, has colado, ha colado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo colo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo colé.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (colé). The present (colo) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él cola la sopa.
  • Right: Espero que él cole la sopa.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: cole. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: colar in use

Ten questions on colar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of colar in the present tense?

  • (a) colan
  • (b) colo
  • (c) colaría
  • (d) colaré

Answer: (b) colo. The I form in the present is colo.

2. What is the he / she form of colar in the present tense?

  • (a) colaré
  • (b) habrás colado
  • (c) había colado
  • (d) cola

Answer: (d) cola. The he / she form in the present is cola.

3. What is the he / she form of colar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) habré colado
  • (b) coló
  • (c) cole
  • (d) colaríais

Answer: (b) coló. The he / she form in the preterite is coló.

4. What is the I form of colar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) colaba
  • (b) colaríamos
  • (c) colaban
  • (d) colarán

Answer: (a) colaba. The I form in the imperfect is colaba.

5. What is the I form of colar in the future tense?

  • (a) colaré
  • (b) habría colado
  • (c) colo
  • (d) habrías colado

Answer: (a) colaré. The I form in the future is colaré.

6. What is the I form of colar in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) colarías
  • (b) he colado
  • (c) colemos
  • (d) habríamos colado

Answer: (b) he colado. The I form in the present perfect is he colado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la sopa.

  • (a) coles
  • (b) colen
  • (c) coléis
  • (d) cole

Answer: (d) cole. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is cole.

8. What is the we form of colar in the present tense?

  • (a) coláis
  • (b) habrán colado
  • (c) colamos
  • (d) colaríamos

Answer: (c) colamos. The we form in the present is colamos.

9. What is the I form of colar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) habían colado
  • (b) hemos colado
  • (c) habrían colado
  • (d) colé

Answer: (d) colé. The I form in the preterite is colé.

10. What is the they form of colar in the present tense?

  • (a) habéis colado
  • (b) colan
  • (c) habían colado
  • (d) colarías

Answer: (b) colan. The they form in the present is colan.

Frequently asked questions about colar

Is colar regular?

Yes. Colar is a regular -ar verb: colo, colas, cola. See the full conjugation of colar for every tense.

What is the past participle of colar?

The past participle is colado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he colado. The gerund is colando, used with estar: estoy colando.

How do I say “I strain” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo colé el caldo. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo colaba con un colador.

How can I practise colar?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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