Entrenar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Entrenar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo entreno todos los días. — I train every day.
  2. Tú entrenas en el trabajo. — You train at work.
  3. Él entrena con mi familia. — He trains with my family.
  4. Nosotros entrenamos por la mañana. — We train 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 entrené por la tarde. — Yesterday I trained in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo entrenaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to train every day.
  3. La semana pasada él entrenó dos veces. — Last week He trained 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 entrenaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will train without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo entrenaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would train right now.
  3. Hoy yo he entrenado dos veces. — Today I have trained twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú entrenes pronto. — I hope You train soon.
  2. ¡entrena, por favor! — Train, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy entrenando. — Right now I am training.

Entrenar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo entrené por la tarde. Antes, yo entrenaba todos los días. Hoy yo he entrenado dos veces. Mañana yo entrenaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with entrenar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo entrenaba.

Right: Ayer yo entrené.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, entrené. The imperfect entrenaba 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 entrenas.

Right: Espero que tú entrenes.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No entrena.

Right: No entrenes.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo entrenar todos los días.

Right: Yo entreno todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He entrenando.

Right: He entrenado.

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

Quiz: entrenar in use

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

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

- (a) entreno
- (b) entrenamos
- (c) entrenas
- (d) entrena

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

- (a) entrené
- (b) entrenó
- (c) entrenasteis
- (d) entrenaste

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

- (a) entrenará
- (b) entrenaré
- (c) entrenarán
- (d) entrenarás

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

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

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

- (a) entrenaba
- (b) entrenabas
- (c) entrenábamos
- (d) entrenaba

6. What is the gerund of entrenar?

- (a) entrenado
- (b) entrenando
- (c) entrenar
- (d) entreno

7. What is the past participle of entrenar?

- (a) entrenado
- (b) entrenando
- (c) entrené
- (d) entrenar

8. Which sentence uses entrenar correctly?

- (a) *Yo entrenas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo entrena todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo entreno todos los días.* — I train every day.
- (d) *Yo entrenar todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses entrenar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo entrené por la tarde.* — Yesterday I trained in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo entrenar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo entrenaba por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo entreno por la tarde.*

10. What does entrenar mean?

- (a) to train
- (b) to train
- (c) to find out
- (d) to rehearse

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I train' in Spanish?

Say «Yo entreno 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 trained' about yesterday?

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

Is entrenar reflexive?

No — entrenar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo entreno, tú entrenas, él entrena. 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 entrenar?

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

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