Introduction

Gratinar means “to gratinate”, and this page covers exactly one thing: gratinar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for gratinar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about gratinar in the present. Gratinar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo gratino las patatas” — "I gratinate the potatoes". Everything on this page uses the forms of gratinar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Gratinar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo gratino
tú gratinas
él/ella/Ud. gratina
nosotros/as gratinamos
vosotros/as gratináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. gratinan

Gerund: gratinando · Past participle: gratinado

The gerund is gratinando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy gratinando” means the action of gratinar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is gratinado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he gratinado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how gratinar is used.

How the present of gratinar is formed

Gratinar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem gratin and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving gratino, gratinas, gratina, gratinamos, gratináis, gratinan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, gratináis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of gratinar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form gratináis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form gratino is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of gratinar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use gratinar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, gratinar goes in the present. Example: “Yo gratino con queso” — "I gratinate with cheese".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about gratinar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él gratina en el horno” — "He gratinates in the oven".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so gratino can mean both "I gratinate" and "I am gratinating". Example: “Yo gratino las patatas” — "I gratinate the potatoes".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros gratinamos con queso” — "We gratinate with cheese".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with gratinar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él gratina en el horno” — "He gratinates in the oven".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo gratino las patatas” — "I gratinate the potatoes".

  • Preterite: “Yo gratiné las patatas” — "I gratinated the potatoes".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él gratina con queso” — "He gratinates with cheese".

  • Preterite: “Él gratinó con queso” — "He gratinated with cheese".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros gratinamos en el horno” — "We gratinate in the oven".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros gratinamos en el horno” — "We gratinated in the oven".

  • The two sentences look identical: gratinamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: gratinar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo gratino con queso” — "I gratinate with cheese"

  2. “Tú gratinas en el horno” — "You gratinate in the oven"

  3. “Él gratina las patatas” — "He gratinates the potatoes"

  4. “Nosotros gratinamos con queso” — "We gratinate with cheese"

  5. “Vosotros gratináis en el horno” — "You gratinate in the oven"

  6. “Ellos gratinan las patatas” — "They gratinate the potatoes"

  7. “Yo gratino con queso” — "I gratinate with cheese"

  8. “Él gratina en el horno” — "He gratinates in the oven"

Common mistakes with gratinar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos gratina las patatas” Right: “Ellos gratinan las patatas” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form gratinan. The singular gratina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo gratiné” Right: “Todos los días, yo gratino” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (gratiné) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo gratina las patatas.” Right: “Yo gratino las patatas” Why: Yo needs the yo form gratino. The él form gratina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo gratino” Right: “Ayer, yo gratiné” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to gratiné.

Quiz: gratinar in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ en el horno.” (yo form)

A. gratino B. gratináis C. gratinamos D. gratinan

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ las patatas.” (tú form)

A. gratino B. gratinamos C. gratinas D. gratinan

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ con queso.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. gratinas B. gratináis C. gratina D. gratinan

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ en el horno.” (nosotros/as form)

A. gratinas B. gratináis C. gratina D. gratinamos

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ las patatas.” (vosotros/as form)

A. gratinas B. gratino C. gratinan D. gratináis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ con queso.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. gratino B. gratina C. gratinan D. gratinamos

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo gratino B. Todos los días, yo gratiné

Answer key

  1. gratino — The yo present of gratinar is gratino.
  2. gratinas — The tú present of gratinar is gratinas.
  3. gratina — The él/ella/Ud. present of gratinar is gratina.
  4. gratinamos — The nosotros/as present of gratinar is gratinamos.
  5. gratináis — The vosotros/as present of gratinar is gratináis.
  6. gratinan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of gratinar is gratinan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo gratino — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of gratinar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo gratino las patatas. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of gratinar formed?

Take the stem gratin- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving gratino, gratinas, gratina, gratinamos, gratináis, gratinan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for gratinar?

The present (gratino) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (gratiné) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise gratinar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — gratino, gratinas, gratina, gratinamos, gratináis, gratinan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the gratinar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of gratinar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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