Graznar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

graznar means “to caw, to croak” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Graznar means to caw or to croak, the harsh cry of a crow, a raven or a duck. It is an animal-sound verb used in nature and the countryside, and it is fully regular. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of graznar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the graznar present tense page.

graznar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo grazno en el árbol del jardín. — “I caw in the tree in the garden.”
  2. Él grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. — “He caws at dawn over the roof.”
  3. Nosotros graznamos cuando pasa alguien. — “We caw when someone passes by.”
  4. Ellos graznan toda la mañana en el campo. — “They caw all morning in the fields.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo grazné al amanecer sobre el tejado. — “Yesterday, I cawed at dawn over the roof.”
  2. Antes, nosotros graznábamos cuando pasa alguien. — “Before, we used to caw when someone passes by.”
  3. Él graznó toda la mañana en el campo. — “He cawed all morning in the fields.”
  4. Yo ya había graznado en el árbol del jardín antes de salir. — “I had already cawed in the tree in the garden before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú graznarás en el árbol del jardín. — “Tomorrow, you will caw in the tree in the garden.”
  2. Yo graznaría al amanecer sobre el tejado si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would caw at dawn over the roof if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha graznado cuando pasa alguien. — “He has cawed when someone passes by.”
  4. Espero que él grazne toda la mañana en el campo. — “I hope he caws all morning in the fields.”

graznar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use graznar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo grazno en el árbol del jardín. — “I caw in the tree in the garden.”
  • Bea: Él grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. — “He caws at dawn over the roof.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo grazné al amanecer sobre el tejado. — “Yesterday, I cawed at dawn over the roof.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú graznarás en el árbol del jardín. — “Tomorrow, you will caw in the tree in the garden.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros graznamos cuando pasa alguien. — “We caw when someone passes by.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros graznábamos cuando pasa alguien. — “Before, we used to caw when someone passes by.”
  • Luis: Yo graznaría al amanecer sobre el tejado si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would caw at dawn over the roof if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él grazne toda la mañana en el campo. — “I hope he caws all morning in the fields.”

A short scene with graznar

A short scene shows how graznar works across the day. In the morning: Grazno en el árbol del jardín. In the afternoon: Grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, grazné cuando pasa alguien. And tomorrow: Mañana, graznaré toda la mañana en el campo. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how graznar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with graznar

The errors learners actually make with graznar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo grazna en el árbol del jardín.

✓ Correct: Yo grazno en el árbol del jardín.

The person matters: grazna is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is grazno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo grazno al amanecer sobre el tejado.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo grazné al amanecer sobre el tejado.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: grazno is happening now, while grazné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating graznar and cantar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Graznar means to caw, to croak, while cantar means to sing, for songbirds.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: graznar fits sentences such as Grazno en el árbol del jardín, while cantar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy graznado al amanecer sobre el tejado.

✓ Correct: Yo he graznado al amanecer sobre el tejado.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he graznado, has graznado, ha graznado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo grazné cuando pasa alguien todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo graznaba cuando pasa alguien todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (graznaba), not the preterite. The preterite (grazné) is for one finished action.

Quiz: graznar in use

Ten questions on graznar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ al amanecer sobre el tejado. — “He/she caws at dawn over the roof.”

  • a) grazna
  • b) grazno
  • c) graznas
  • d) graznamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ cuando pasa alguien. — “Yesterday, I cawed when someone passes by.”

  • a) graznaste
  • b) graznó
  • c) graznaron
  • d) grazné

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ toda la mañana en el campo cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to caw all morning in the fields when they were young.”

  • a) graznabas
  • b) graznábamos
  • c) graznaban
  • d) graznaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ en el árbol del jardín. — “Tomorrow, we will caw in the tree in the garden.”

  • a) graznarán
  • b) graznaremos
  • c) graznaré
  • d) graznarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ al amanecer sobre el tejado si pudiera. — “He would caw at dawn over the roof if he could.”

  • a) graznaría
  • b) graznarías
  • c) graznaríamos
  • d) grazno

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ cuando pasa alguien. — “I have cawed when someone passes by.”

  • a) has graznado
  • b) ha graznado
  • c) han graznado
  • d) he graznado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ toda la mañana en el campo. — “I hope you caw all morning in the fields.”

  • a) graznemos
  • b) grazno
  • c) graznes
  • d) grazne

8. Which is the past participle of graznar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) grazné
  • b) graznado
  • c) graznando
  • d) grazno

9. What does graznar mean in English?

  • a) to caw, to croak
  • b) to sing, for songbirds
  • c) to chirp
  • d) to grunt

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado.
  • b) Él grazno al amanecer sobre el tejado.
  • c) Nosotros grazna cuando pasa alguien.
  • d) Yo grazna en el árbol del jardín.

Answer key

  1. a) grazna — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: grazna.

  2. d) grazné — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: grazné, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) graznaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: graznaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) graznaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: graznaremos.

  5. a) graznaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: graznaría.

  6. d) he graznado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he graznado, haber + graznado.

  7. c) graznes — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is graznes.

  8. b) graznado — The past participle is graznado: he graznado, has graznado, ha graznado. The gerund graznando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to caw, to croak — graznar means to caw, to croak. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. — Él grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use graznar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Grazno en el árbol del jardín and Grazna al amanecer sobre el tejado. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between graznar and cantar?

Graznar means “to caw, to croak”, while cantar means “to sing, for songbirds”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use graznar when you mean “to caw, to croak” and cantar when you mean “to sing, for songbirds”.

Which tense do I need most with graznar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use graznar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is graznar formal or informal?

Graznar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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