Combinar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

combinar means “to combine” 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. Combinar means to combine, and it is used for combining colours, combining work with study, combining meat with vegetables and combining two ideas in a picture. It is a regular -ar verb, common in cooking, fashion and work. 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 combinar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the combinar present tense page.

combinar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo combino el rojo con el negro. — I combine red with black.
  2. Él/Ella combina el trabajo con los estudios. — He combines work with study.
  3. Nosotros/as combinamos la carne con verduras. — We combine meat with vegetables.
  4. Ellos/as combinan dos colores en el cuadro. — They combine two colours in the picture.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo combiné la carne con verduras. — Yesterday, I combined meat with vegetables.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as combinábamos dos colores en el cuadro. — Before, We used to combine two colours in the picture.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella combinó el rojo con el negro. — Yesterday, He combined red with black.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as combinaban el trabajo con los estudios. — As children, They used to combine work with study.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú combinarás el rojo con el negro. — Tomorrow, You will combine red with black.
  2. Yo combinaría el trabajo con los estudios. — I would combine work with study.
  3. Espero que él combine la carne con verduras. — I hope he combines meat with vegetables.
  4. Él/Ella ha combinado dos colores en el cuadro. — He has combined two colours in the picture.

combinar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú combinas el rojo con el negro mañana? — Are you going to combine red with black tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo combino el rojo con el negro todos los días. — Yes, I combine red with black every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana combinarás el trabajo con los estudios? — And tomorrow, will you combine work with study? Luis: Claro, mañana combinaré el trabajo con los estudios sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will combine work with study without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo combinaré la carne con verduras también. — Perfect. I will combine meat with vegetables too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer combiné la carne con verduras. — Yesterday, I combined meat with vegetables. Ana: ¿Y antes combinabas dos colores en el cuadro? — And before, did you use to combine two colours in the picture? Luis: Sí, antes combinaba dos colores en el cuadro todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to combine two colours in the picture every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos combinaron el rojo con el negro? — And did your brothers combined red with black? Luis: Sí, ellos combinaron el rojo con el negro por la tarde. — Yes, they combined red with black in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo combina el rojo con el negro. — Right: Yo combino el rojo con el negro. — The person matters: combina is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is combino. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating combinar and mezclar as identical in every context. — Right: Combinar means to combine, while mezclar means to mix things together. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: combinar fits sentences such as Combino el rojo con el negro, while mezclar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy combinado el trabajo con los estudios. — Right: Yo he combinado el trabajo con los estudios. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he combinado, has combinado, ha combinado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo combiné la carne con verduras todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo combinaba la carne con verduras todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (combinaba), not the preterite. The preterite (combiné) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ dos colores en el cuadro. (present tense) A. combinan B. combino C. combinas D. combina

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ el rojo con el negro. (preterite tense) A. combiné B. combinaste C. combinó D. combinamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el trabajo con los estudios. (imperfect tense) A. combinábamos B. combinabais C. combinabas D. combinaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la carne con verduras. (future tense) A. combinaremos B. combinará C. combinaré D. combinarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ dos colores en el cuadro. (conditional tense) A. combinaríamos B. combinaría C. combinarías D. combinaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ el rojo con el negro. (present-perfect tense) A. has combinado B. ha combinado C. hemos combinado D. he combinado

  7. What does combinar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to combine D. to mix things together

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo combiné la carne con verduras. B. Yo combina el rojo con el negro. C. Yo combino el rojo con el negro. D. Él/Ella combina el trabajo con los estudios.

  9. Which is the gerund of combinar, used with estar for the progressive? A. combinando B. combinado C. combino D. combiné

  10. Which is the past participle of combinar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. combinando B. combino C. combiné D. combinado

Answer key

  1. combinan — The correct form here is combinan.
  2. combinamos — The correct form here is combinamos.
  3. combinabas — The correct form here is combinabas.
  4. combinará — The correct form here is combinará.
  5. combinaríamos — The correct form here is combinaríamos.
  6. he combinado — The correct form here is he combinado.
  7. to combine — Combinar means to combine. Mezclar means to mix things together, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo combina el rojo con el negro. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo combino el rojo con el negro.. The person matters: combina is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is combino. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. combinando — The gerund of combinar is combinando: estoy combinando.
  10. combinado — The past participle of combinar is combinado: he combinado, has combinado, ha combinado.

Frequently asked questions

What does combinar mean?

Combinar means to combine. Combinar means to combine, and it is used for combining colours, combining work with study, combining meat with vegetables and combining two ideas in a picture. It is a regular -ar verb, common in cooking, fashion and work.

When do people use combinar most?

People use combinar most in everyday situations such as Yo combino el rojo con el negro. and Ayer, Yo combiné la carne con verduras.. 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 combinar and mezclar?

Combinar means to combine, while mezclar means to mix things together. 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 combinar?

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

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