Guisar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

guisar means "to stew, to cook" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows guisar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of guisar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with guisar

To stew

Guisar means to stew. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo guiso un guiso — "I stew a stew"
  2. Él guisa la carne — "He stews the meat"
  3. Yo guisé a fuego lento — "I stewed over a low heat"
  4. Yo guisaba un guiso — "I used to stew a stew"
  5. Yo guisaré la carne — "I will stew the meat"
  6. Yo he guisado a fuego lento — "I have stewed over a low heat"

To cook

Guisar means to cook. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él guisó a fuego lento — "He stewed over a low heat"
  2. Él guisaba un guiso — "He used to stew a stew"
  3. Tú guisarás la carne — "You will stew the meat"
  4. Yo guisaría a fuego lento — "I would stew over a low heat"
  5. Yo había guisado un guiso — "I had stewed a stew"
  6. Nosotros guisamos la carne — "We stew the meat"

Guisar in conversation

The two dialogues below show guisar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú guisas un guiso? — "Do you stew a stew?"
  • Sí, yo guiso un guiso cada día. — "Yes, I stew a stew every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú guisaste la carne? — "And yesterday? Did you stew the meat?"
  • Sí, yo guisé la carne. — "Yes, I stewed the meat."
  • Mañana, yo guisaré a fuego lento también. — "Tomorrow, I will stew over a low heat too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros guisáis un guiso? — "Do you stew a stew?"
  • Sí, nosotros guisamos un guiso los fines de semana. — "Yes, We stew a stew at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos guisan la carne? — "And them? Do they stew the meat?"
  • Sí, ellos guisan la carne también. — "Yes, They stew the meat too."
  • Mañana nosotros guisaremos la carne otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will stew the meat again."

Useful phrases with guisar

Four patterns you can use with guisar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a guisar un guiso. — "I am going to stew a stew."
  • Quiero guisar la carne. — "I want to stew the meat."
  • Me gusta guisar a fuego lento. — "I like to stew over a low heat."
  • Acabo de guisar un guiso. — "I have just stewed a stew."

Common mistakes with guisar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos guisa un guiso.
  • Right: Ellos guisan un guiso.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form guisan. The singular guisa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo guisé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo guiso.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Guisar es lo mismo que estofar.
  • Right: Guisar means to stew; estofar means to stew, to braise.
  • Why: Guisar and estofar describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo guiso.
  • Right: Ayer, yo guisé.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (guisé). The present (guiso) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él guisa un guiso.
  • Right: Espero que él guise un guiso.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: guise. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: guisar in use

Ten questions on guisar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of guisar in the present tense?

  • (a) guisaste
  • (b) habría guisado
  • (c) guiso
  • (d) habrían guisado

Answer: (c) guiso. The I form in the present is guiso.

2. What is the he / she form of guisar in the present tense?

  • (a) guisábamos
  • (b) guisa
  • (c) guisad
  • (d) guisaba

Answer: (b) guisa. The he / she form in the present is guisa.

3. What is the he / she form of guisar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) guisaríais
  • (b) he guisado
  • (c) habrían guisado
  • (d) guisó

Answer: (d) guisó. The he / she form in the preterite is guisó.

4. What is the I form of guisar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) guisan
  • (b) habrás guisado
  • (c) habrían guisado
  • (d) guisaba

Answer: (d) guisaba. The I form in the imperfect is guisaba.

5. What is the I form of guisar in the future tense?

  • (a) guisaría
  • (b) guisabas
  • (c) habremos guisado
  • (d) guisaré

Answer: (d) guisaré. The I form in the future is guisaré.

6. What is the I form of guisar in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) habían guisado
  • (b) he guisado
  • (c) guisan
  • (d) habréis guisado

Answer: (b) he guisado. The I form in the present perfect is he guisado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un guiso.

  • (a) guises
  • (b) guise
  • (c) guisen
  • (d) guisemos

Answer: (b) guise. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is guise.

8. What is the we form of guisar in the present tense?

  • (a) guisen
  • (b) habréis guisado
  • (c) habían guisado
  • (d) guisamos

Answer: (d) guisamos. The we form in the present is guisamos.

9. What is the I form of guisar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) guisaríais
  • (b) guisará
  • (c) guisé
  • (d) guisaría

Answer: (c) guisé. The I form in the preterite is guisé.

10. What is the they form of guisar in the present tense?

  • (a) habrías guisado
  • (b) guisan
  • (c) guisarás
  • (d) guisara

Answer: (b) guisan. The they form in the present is guisan.

Frequently asked questions about guisar

Is guisar regular?

Yes. Guisar is a regular -ar verb: guiso, guisas, guisa. See the full conjugation of guisar for every tense.

What is the difference between guisar and estofar?

Guisar means to stew. Estofar means to stew, to braise. Use guisar when you mean to stew, as in Yo guiso un guiso.

How do I say “I stew” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo guisé la carne. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo guisaba a fuego lento.

How can I practise guisar?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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