Cotillear Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

cotillear means "to gossip" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows cotillear 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 cotillear, 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 cotillear

Everyday use

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

  1. Yo cotilleo con su vecina — "I gossip with her neighbour"
  2. Él cotillea sobre los demás — "He gossips about other people"
  3. Toda la tarde, yo cotilleé — "All afternoon, I gossiped"
  4. Yo cotilleaba con su vecina — "I used to gossip with her neighbour"
  5. Yo cotillearé sobre los demás — "I will gossip about other people"
  6. Toda la tarde, yo he cotilleado — "All afternoon, I have gossiped"

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. Toda la tarde, él cotilleó — "All afternoon, he gossiped"
  2. Él cotilleaba con su vecina — "He used to gossip with her neighbour"
  3. Tú cotillearás sobre los demás — "You will gossip about other people"
  4. Toda la tarde, yo cotillearía — "All afternoon, I would gossip"
  5. Yo había cotilleado con su vecina — "I had gossiped with her neighbour"
  6. Nosotros cotilleamos sobre los demás — "We gossip about other people"

Cotillear in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú cotilleas con su vecina? — "Do you gossip with her neighbour?"
  • Sí, yo cotilleo con su vecina cada día. — "Yes, I gossip with her neighbour every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú cotilleaste sobre los demás? — "And yesterday? Did you gossip about other people?"
  • Sí, yo cotilleé sobre los demás. — "Yes, I gossiped about other people."
  • Mañana, toda la tarde, yo cotillearé también. — "Tomorrow, all afternoon, I will gossip too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros cotilleáis con su vecina? — "Do you gossip with her neighbour?"
  • Sí, nosotros cotilleamos con su vecina los fines de semana. — "Yes, We gossip with her neighbour at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos cotillean sobre los demás? — "And them? Do they gossip about other people?"
  • Sí, ellos cotillean sobre los demás también. — "Yes, They gossip about other people too."
  • Mañana nosotros cotillearemos sobre los demás otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will gossip about other people again."

Useful phrases with cotillear

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

  • Voy a cotillear con su vecina. — "I am going to gossip with her neighbour."
  • Quiero cotillear sobre los demás. — "I want to gossip about other people."
  • Me gusta cotillear toda la tarde. — "I like to gossip all afternoon."
  • Acabo de cotillear con su vecina. — "I have just gossiped with her neighbour."

Common mistakes with cotillear in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos cotillea con su vecina.
  • Right: Ellos cotillean con su vecina.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form cotillean. The singular cotillea belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo cotilleé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo cotilleo.
  • 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: Cotillear es lo mismo que chismorrear.
  • Right: Cotillear means to gossip; chismorrear means to gossip.
  • Why: Cotillear and chismorrear describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él cotillea con su vecina.
  • Right: Espero que él cotillee con su vecina.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: cotillee. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: cotillear in use

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

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

  • (a) cotilleo
  • (b) cotilleen
  • (c) cotillee
  • (d) cotilleemos

Answer: (a) cotilleo. The I form in the present is cotilleo.

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

  • (a) habéis cotilleado
  • (b) habré cotilleado
  • (c) cotilleábamos
  • (d) cotillea

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

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

  • (a) cotilleó
  • (b) cotillean
  • (c) había cotilleado
  • (d) cotilleemos

Answer: (a) cotilleó. The he / she form in the preterite is cotilleó.

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

  • (a) cotillearías
  • (b) cotilleará
  • (c) cotilleaba
  • (d) cotilleáramos

Answer: (c) cotilleaba. The I form in the imperfect is cotilleaba.

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

  • (a) cotillearé
  • (b) habían cotilleado
  • (c) cotilleéis
  • (d) habréis cotilleado

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

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

  • (a) cotilleáramos
  • (b) he cotilleado
  • (c) cotilleábamos
  • (d) cotillearemos

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con su vecina.

  • (a) cotillee
  • (b) cotilleéis
  • (c) cotillees
  • (d) cotilleemos

Answer: (a) cotillee. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is cotillee.

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

  • (a) cotilleaba
  • (b) cotilleamos
  • (c) habrás cotilleado
  • (d) cotillearon

Answer: (b) cotilleamos. The we form in the present is cotilleamos.

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

  • (a) cotillearán
  • (b) cotillearé
  • (c) habríais cotilleado
  • (d) cotilleé

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

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

  • (a) cotillean
  • (b) cotilleo
  • (c) habían cotilleado
  • (d) cotillearían

Answer: (a) cotillean. The they form in the present is cotillean.

Frequently asked questions about cotillear

Is cotillear regular?

Yes. Cotillear is a regular -ar verb: cotilleo, cotilleas, cotillea. See the full conjugation of cotillear for every tense.

What is the difference between cotillear and chismorrear?

Cotillear means to gossip. Chismorrear means to gossip. Use cotillear when you mean to gossip, as in Yo cotilleo con su vecina.

How do I say “I gossip” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo cotilleé sobre los demás. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Toda la tarde, yo cotilleaba.

How can I practise cotillear?

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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