Examinar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

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

Examinar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

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

  1. Yo examino todos los días. — I examine every day.
  2. Tú examinas en el trabajo. — You examine at work.
  3. Él examina con mi familia. — He examines with my family.
  4. Nosotros examinamos por la mañana. — We examine 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 examiné por la tarde. — Yesterday I examined in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo examinaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to examine every day.
  3. La semana pasada él examinó dos veces. — Last week He examined 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 examinaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will examine without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo examinaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would examine right now.
  3. Hoy yo he examinado dos veces. — Today I have examined twice.

More everyday uses

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

  1. Espero que tú examines pronto. — I hope You examine soon.
  2. ¡examina, por favor! — Examine, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy examinando. — Right now I am examining.

Examinar in context

A short dialogue

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

A short paragraph

Ayer yo examiné por la tarde. Antes, yo examinaba todos los días. Hoy yo he examinado dos veces. Mañana yo examinaré sin falta.

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

Common mistakes with examinar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo examinaba.

Right: Ayer yo examiné.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, examiné. The imperfect examinaba 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 examinas.

Right: Espero que tú examines.

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

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No examina.

Right: No examines.

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

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo examinar todos los días.

Right: Yo examino todos los días.

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

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He examinando.

Right: He examinado.

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

Quiz: examinar in use

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

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

- (a) examinamos
- (b) examino
- (c) examinas
- (d) examina

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

- (a) examinamos
- (b) examiné
- (c) examinó
- (d) examinaste

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

- (a) examinarás
- (b) examinará
- (c) examinaré
- (d) examinaréis

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

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

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

- (a) examinábamos
- (b) examinaba
- (c) examinaba
- (d) examinabas

6. What is the gerund of examinar?

- (a) examino
- (b) examinar
- (c) examinado
- (d) examinando

7. What is the past participle of examinar?

- (a) examiné
- (b) examinado
- (c) examinando
- (d) examinar

8. Which sentence uses examinar correctly?

- (a) *Yo examinar todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo examinas todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo examina todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo examino todos los días.* — I examine every day.

9. Which sentence uses examinar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo examinar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo examinaba por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo examiné por la tarde.* — Yesterday I examined in the afternoon.
- (d) *Ayer yo examino por la tarde.*

10. What does examinar mean?

- (a) to explore
- (b) to avoid
- (c) to examine
- (d) to estimate

Answer key

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I examine' in Spanish?

Say «Yo examino 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 examined' about yesterday?

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

Is examinar reflexive?

No — examinar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo examino, tú examinas, él examina. 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 examinar?

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

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