Introduction
Compartir means “to share”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Compartir means to share, and it is one of the most useful everyday verbs: sharing food, a flat, an opinion or a photo online. It takes con for the person you share with: compartir el piso con María. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows compartir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Comparto el piso con María.” — I share the flat with María.
Compartir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how compartir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use compartir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Comparto el piso con María.” — I share the flat with María.
“¿Compartes la comida con los niños?” — Do you share food with the children?
“Comparte una foto en internet.” — He/she shares a photo online.
“Nosotros compartimos la opinión de su hermano.” — We share her brother's opinion.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show compartir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo compartí el piso con María.” — Yesterday, I shared the flat with María. (preterite)
“Antes, él compartía la comida con los niños.” — Before, he used to share food with the children. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of compartir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros compartiremos una foto en internet.” — Tomorrow, we will share a photo online. (future)
“¿Tú has compartido la opinión de su hermano?” — Have you shared her brother's opinion? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros compartís el piso con María.” — You share the flat with María.
“Ellos comparten la comida con los niños.” — They share food with the children.
“Yo comparto una foto en internet.” — I share a photo online.
“Mi padre comparte la opinión de su hermano.” — My father shares her brother's opinion.
Compartir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how compartir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú compartes la comida con los niños?” — Do you share food with the children?
Pedro: “Sí, yo comparto el piso con María.” — Yes, I share the flat with María.
Marta: “Nosotros compartimos la opinión de su hermano.” — We share her brother's opinion.
Pedro: “Y ellos comparten la comida con los niños.” — And they share food with the children.
Marta: “Vosotros compartís una foto en internet.” — You share a photo online.
Pedro: “Sí, y él comparte el piso con María.” — Yes, and he shares the flat with María.
A short paragraph
Comparte el piso con María, y nosotros compartimos la opinión de su hermano. Yo comparto la comida con los niños, y ellos comparten una foto en internet. Compartir is part of everyday life, because share is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with compartir
These are the errors learners actually make with compartir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo comparte el piso con María.” Right: “Yo comparto el piso con María.” Why: The person matters: comparte is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is comparto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo comparto la comida con los niños.” Right: “Ayer yo compartí la comida con los niños.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: comparto is happening now, while compartí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating compartir and repartir as identical in every context.” Right: “Compartir means to share, while repartir means to share out, to distribute.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: compartir fits sentences such as Comparto el piso con María, while repartir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy compartido la comida con los niños.” Right: “Yo he compartido la comida con los niños.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he compartido, has compartido, ha compartido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo compartí una foto en internet todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo compartía una foto en internet todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (compartía), not the preterite. The preterite (compartí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: compartir in use
Ten questions on compartir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el piso con María.” (You share the flat with María.)
- (a) compartís
- (b) comparto
- (c) compartes
Answer: compartís — The vosotros/as form of compartir in the present tense is compartís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la comida con los niños.” (They share food with the children.)
- (a) compartes
- (b) comparten
- (c) comparto
Answer: comparten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of compartir in the present tense is comparten.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ el piso con María.” (Yesterday I shared the flat with María.)
- (a) compartiste
- (b) compartió
- (c) compartí
Answer: compartí — In the preterite, the yo form of compartir is compartí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ la comida con los niños.” (Before, he used to share food with the children.)
- (a) compartía
- (b) comparto
- (c) compartías
Answer: compartía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of compartir is compartía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una foto en internet.” (Tomorrow we will share a photo online.)
- (a) compartirás
- (b) compartiremos
- (c) compartiré
Answer: compartiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of compartir is compartiremos.
6. What does compartir mean in English?
- (a) to share
- (b) to coexist
- (c) to share out, to distribute
Answer: to share — Compartir means “to share”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo comparte el piso con María.
- (b) Ellos comparte la comida con los niños.
- (c) Yo comparto el piso con María.
Answer: Yo comparto el piso con María. — “Yo comparto el piso con María.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I share the flat with María.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre comparte la opinión de su hermano.
- (b) Comparto el piso con María.
- (c) Comparten el piso con María.
Answer: Comparto el piso con María. — “Comparto el piso con María.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of compartir in the present tense?
- (a) comparto
- (b) compartes
- (c) compartimos
Answer: compartimos — The nosotros form is compartimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros compartiremos una foto en internet.
- (b) Comparto el piso con María.
- (c) Ayer, yo compartí el piso con María.
Answer: Comparto el piso con María. — “Comparto el piso con María.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I share the flat with María' in Spanish?
Say 'Comparto el piso con María'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Comparto el piso con María todos los días'.
How do you say 'He shares food with the children' in Spanish?
Say 'Él comparte la comida con los niños'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes comparte.
What is the difference between compartir and repartir?
Compartir means to share, while repartir means to share out, to distribute. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use compartir when you mean to share, as in 'Comparto el piso con María', and use repartir for to share out, to distribute.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of compartir — every tense of compartir in one place.
- Compartir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on compartir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of compartir until they are automatic.