Elaborar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

elaborar means to make, to prepare, 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 elaboro todos los días» — I make every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use elaborar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Elaborar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo elaboro todos los días. — I make every day.
  2. Tú elaboras en el trabajo. — You make at work.
  3. Él elabora con mi familia. — He makes with my family.
  4. Nosotros elaboramos por la mañana. — We make 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 elaboré por la tarde. — Yesterday I made in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo elaboraba todos los días. — In the past, I used to make every day.
  3. La semana pasada él elaboró dos veces. — Last week He made 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 elaboraré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will make without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo elaboraría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would make right now.
  3. Hoy yo he elaborado dos veces. — Today I have made twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú elabores pronto. — I hope You make soon.
  2. ¡elabora, por favor! — Make, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy elaborando. — Right now I am making.

Elaborar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo elaboré por la tarde. Antes, yo elaboraba todos los días. Hoy yo he elaborado dos veces. Mañana yo elaboraré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with elaborar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo elaboraba.

Right: Ayer yo elaboré.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, elaboré. The imperfect elaboraba 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 elaboras.

Right: Espero que tú elabores.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No elabora.

Right: No elabores.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo elaborar todos los días.

Right: Yo elaboro todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He elaborando.

Right: He elaborado.

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

Quiz: elaborar in use

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

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elaboramos
- (b) elaboras
- (c) elabora
- (d) elaboro

2. What is the nosotros/as form of elaborar in the preterite?

- (a) elaboré
- (b) elaboramos
- (c) elaboraste
- (d) elaboró

3. What is the vosotros/as form of elaborar in the future?

- (a) elaborará
- (b) elaborarás
- (c) elaboraréis
- (d) elaboraré

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elaborar in the present perfect?

- (a) has elaborado
- (b) ha elaborado
- (c) han elaborado
- (d) he elaborado

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar in the imperfect?

- (a) elaborabas
- (b) elaboraba
- (c) elaboraba
- (d) elaborábamos

6. What is the gerund of elaborar?

- (a) elaborar
- (b) elaborando
- (c) elaborado
- (d) elaboro

7. What is the past participle of elaborar?

- (a) elaborado
- (b) elaborando
- (c) elaborar
- (d) elaboré

8. Which sentence uses elaborar correctly?

- (a) *Yo elaboras todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo elaborar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo elaboro todos los días.* — I make every day.
- (d) *Yo elabora todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses elaborar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo elaboro por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo elaboré por la tarde.* — Yesterday I made in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo elaboraba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo elaborar por la tarde.*

10. What does elaborar mean?

- (a) to exercise
- (b) to make, to prepare
- (c) to exercise
- (d) to raise

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar is elabora. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the preterite, the nosotros/as form of elaborar is elaboramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the future, the vosotros/as form of elaborar is elaboraréis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elaborar is han elaborado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar is elaboraba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — The gerund of elaborar is elaborando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy elaborando». 7. (a) — The past participle of elaborar is elaborado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he elaborado». 8. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of elaborar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of elaborar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (b) — elaborar means «to make, to prepare».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I make' in Spanish?

Say «Yo elaboro 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 made' about yesterday?

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

Is elaborar reflexive?

No — elaborar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo elaboro, tú elaboras, él elabora. 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 elaborar?

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

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