Completar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

completar means “to complete” 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. Completar means to complete, and it is used for completing a form, a sentence, a puzzle, a course or a collection: you complete the registration form, you complete a sentence with the right word, you complete the course in June. It is a regular -ar verb, common in school and in administration. 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 completar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the completar present tense page.

completar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — I complete the registration form.
  2. Él/Ella completa la frase con la palabra correcta. — He completes the sentence with the right word.
  3. Nosotros/as completamos el puzle por la noche. — We complete the puzzle in the evening.
  4. Ellos/as completan el curso en junio. — They complete the course in June.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo completé el puzle por la noche. — Yesterday, I completed the puzzle in the evening.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as completábamos el curso en junio. — Before, We used to complete the course in June.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella completó el formulario de inscripción. — Yesterday, He completed the registration form.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as completaban la frase con la palabra correcta. — As children, They used to complete the sentence with the right word.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú completarás el formulario de inscripción. — Tomorrow, You will complete the registration form.
  2. Yo completaría la frase con la palabra correcta. — I would complete the sentence with the right word.
  3. Espero que él complete el puzle por la noche. — I hope he completes the puzzle in the evening.
  4. Él/Ella ha completado el curso en junio. — He has completed the course in June.

completar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú completas el formulario de inscripción mañana? — Are you going to complete the registration form tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo completo el formulario de inscripción todos los días. — Yes, I complete the registration form every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana completarás la frase con la palabra correcta? — And tomorrow, will you complete the sentence with the right word? Luis: Claro, mañana completaré la frase con la palabra correcta sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will complete the sentence with the right word without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo completaré el puzle por la noche también. — Perfect. I will complete the puzzle in the evening too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer completé el puzle por la noche. — Yesterday, I completed the puzzle in the evening. Ana: ¿Y antes completabas el curso en junio? — And before, did you use to complete the course in June? Luis: Sí, antes completaba el curso en junio todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to complete the course in June every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos completaron el formulario de inscripción? — And did your brothers completed the registration form? Luis: Sí, ellos completaron el formulario de inscripción por la tarde. — Yes, they completed the registration form in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo completa el formulario de inscripción. — Right: Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. — The person matters: completa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is completo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating completar and terminar as identical in every context. — Right: Completar means to complete, while terminar means to finish something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: completar fits sentences such as Completo el formulario de inscripción, while terminar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy completado la frase con la palabra correcta. — Right: Yo he completado la frase con la palabra correcta. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he completado, has completado, ha completado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo completé el puzle por la noche todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo completaba el puzle por la noche todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (completaba), not the preterite. The preterite (completé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ el curso en junio. (present tense) A. completan B. completo C. completas D. completa

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ el formulario de inscripción. (preterite tense) A. completé B. completaste C. completó D. completamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ la frase con la palabra correcta. (imperfect tense) A. completábamos B. completabais C. completabas D. completaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ el puzle por la noche. (future tense) A. completaremos B. completará C. completaré D. completarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ el curso en junio. (conditional tense) A. completaríamos B. completaría C. completarías D. completaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ el formulario de inscripción. (present-perfect tense) A. has completado B. ha completado C. hemos completado D. he completado

  7. What does completar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to complete D. to finish something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo completé el puzle por la noche. B. Yo completa el formulario de inscripción. C. Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. D. Él/Ella completa la frase con la palabra correcta.

  9. Which is the gerund of completar, used with estar for the progressive? A. completando B. completado C. completo D. completé

  10. Which is the past participle of completar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. completando B. completo C. completé D. completado

Answer key

  1. completan — The correct form here is completan.
  2. completamos — The correct form here is completamos.
  3. completabas — The correct form here is completabas.
  4. completará — The correct form here is completará.
  5. completaríamos — The correct form here is completaríamos.
  6. he completado — The correct form here is he completado.
  7. to complete — Completar means to complete. Terminar means to finish something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo completa el formulario de inscripción. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo completo el formulario de inscripción.. The person matters: completa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is completo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. completando — The gerund of completar is completando: estoy completando.
  10. completado — The past participle of completar is completado: he completado, has completado, ha completado.

Frequently asked questions

What does completar mean?

Completar means to complete. Completar means to complete, and it is used for completing a form, a sentence, a puzzle, a course or a collection: you complete the registration form, you complete a sentence with the right word, you complete the course in June. It is a regular -ar verb, common in school and in administration.

When do people use completar most?

People use completar most in everyday situations such as Yo completo el formulario de inscripción. and Ayer, Yo completé el puzle por la noche.. 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 completar and terminar?

Completar means to complete, while terminar means to finish something. 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 completar?

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

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