Editar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

editar means to edit, to publish, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo edito todos los días» — I edit every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use editar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Editar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where editar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo edito todos los días. — I edit every day.
  2. Tú editas en el trabajo. — You edit at work.
  3. Él edita con mi familia. — He edits with my family.
  4. Nosotros editamos por la mañana. — We edit in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo edité por la tarde. — Yesterday I editted in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo editaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to edit every day.
  3. La semana pasada él editó dos veces. — Last week He editted twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo editaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will edit without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo editaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would edit right now.
  3. Hoy yo he editado dos veces. — Today I have editted twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú edites pronto. — I hope You edit soon.
  2. ¡edita, por favor! — Edit, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy editando. — Right now I am editting.

Editar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo edito en el trabajo.» — I edit at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo edito con mi familia.» — I edit with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo editaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will edit without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo editaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would edit right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he editado dos veces.» — Today I have editted twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo edité por la tarde. Antes, yo editaba todos los días. Hoy yo he editado dos veces. Mañana yo editaré sin falta.

Yesterday I editted in the afternoon. In the past, I used to edit every day. Today I have editted twice. Tomorrow I will edit without fail.

Common mistakes with editar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo editaba.

Right: Ayer yo edité.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, edité. The imperfect editaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú editas.

Right: Espero que tú edites.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: edites, not the indicative editas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No edita.

Right: No edites.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no edites. The affirmative edita can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo editar todos los días.

Right: Yo edito todos los días.

The infinitive editar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo edito.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He editando.

Right: He editado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he editado. The gerund editando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy editando»), never with haber.

Quiz: editar in use

Test yourself on editar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the nosotros/as form of editar in the present indicative?

- (a) editamos
- (b) edito
- (c) editas
- (d) edita

2. What is the vosotros/as form of editar in the preterite?

- (a) editaste
- (b) edité
- (c) editasteis
- (d) editó

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of editar in the future?

- (a) editarán
- (b) editará
- (c) editaré
- (d) editarás

4. What is the yo form of editar in the present perfect?

- (a) he editado
- (b) has editado
- (c) hemos editado
- (d) ha editado

5. What is the nosotros/as form of editar in the imperfect?

- (a) editabas
- (b) editaba
- (c) editábamos
- (d) editaba

6. What is the gerund of editar?

- (a) editando
- (b) edito
- (c) editar
- (d) editado

7. What is the past participle of editar?

- (a) editado
- (b) editar
- (c) edité
- (d) editando

8. Which sentence uses editar correctly?

- (a) *Yo editar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo edito todos los días.* — I edit every day.
- (c) *Yo edita todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo editas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses editar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo edité por la tarde.* — Yesterday I editted in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo edito por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo editaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo editar por la tarde.*

10. What does editar mean?

- (a) to edit, to publish
- (b) to last
- (c) to save
- (d) to educate

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of editar is editamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the preterite, the vosotros/as form of editar is editasteis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the future, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of editar is editarán. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present perfect, the yo form of editar is he editado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the imperfect, the nosotros/as form of editar is editábamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (a) — The gerund of editar is editando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy editando». 7. (a) — The past participle of editar is editado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he editado». 8. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of editar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of editar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (a) — editar means «to edit, to publish».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I edit' in Spanish?

Say «Yo edito todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I editted' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo edité por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is editar reflexive?

No — editar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo edito, tú editas, él edita. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with editar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (edité) for a single finished event and the imperfect (editaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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