Macerar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

macerar means "to marinate, to macerate" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows macerar 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 macerar, 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 macerar

To marinate

Macerar means to marinate. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo macero la fruta — "I marinate the fruit"
  2. Él macera en vino — "He marinates in wine"
  3. Yo maceré las fresas — "I marinated the strawberries"
  4. Yo maceraba la fruta — "I used to marinate the fruit"
  5. Yo maceraré en vino — "I will marinate in wine"
  6. Yo he macerado las fresas — "I have marinated the strawberries"

To macerate

Macerar means to macerate. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él maceró las fresas — "He marinated the strawberries"
  2. Él maceraba la fruta — "He used to marinate the fruit"
  3. Tú macerarás en vino — "You will marinate in wine"
  4. Yo maceraría las fresas — "I would marinate the strawberries"
  5. Yo había macerado la fruta — "I had marinated the fruit"
  6. Nosotros maceramos en vino — "We marinate in wine"

Macerar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú maceras la fruta? — "Do you marinate the fruit?"
  • Sí, yo macero la fruta cada día. — "Yes, I marinate the fruit every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú maceraste en vino? — "And yesterday? Did you marinate in wine?"
  • Sí, yo maceré en vino. — "Yes, I marinated in wine."
  • Mañana, yo maceraré las fresas también. — "Tomorrow, I will marinate the strawberries too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros maceráis la fruta? — "Do you marinate the fruit?"
  • Sí, nosotros maceramos la fruta los fines de semana. — "Yes, We marinate the fruit at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos maceran en vino? — "And them? Do they marinate in wine?"
  • Sí, ellos maceran en vino también. — "Yes, They marinate in wine too."
  • Mañana nosotros maceraremos en vino otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will marinate in wine again."

Useful phrases with macerar

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

  • Voy a macerar la fruta. — "I am going to marinate the fruit."
  • Quiero macerar en vino. — "I want to marinate in wine."
  • Me gusta macerar las fresas. — "I like to marinate the strawberries."
  • Acabo de macerar la fruta. — "I have just marinated the fruit."

Common mistakes with macerar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos macera la fruta.
  • Right: Ellos maceran la fruta.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form maceran. The singular macera belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo maceré.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo macero.
  • 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: Macerar es lo mismo que marinar.
  • Right: Macerar means to marinate; marinar means to marinate.
  • Why: Macerar and marinar describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él macera la fruta.
  • Right: Espero que él macere la fruta.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: macere. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: macerar in use

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

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

  • (a) habremos macerado
  • (b) maceráramos
  • (c) macerad
  • (d) macero

Answer: (d) macero. The I form in the present is macero.

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

  • (a) maceraría
  • (b) macera
  • (c) habría macerado
  • (d) maceréis

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

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

  • (a) macero
  • (b) maceraré
  • (c) maceró
  • (d) habremos macerado

Answer: (c) maceró. The he / she form in the preterite is maceró.

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

  • (a) habrán macerado
  • (b) habríais macerado
  • (c) ha macerado
  • (d) maceraba

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

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

  • (a) maceraré
  • (b) habremos macerado
  • (c) habrán macerado
  • (d) habríamos macerado

Answer: (a) maceraré. The I form in the future is maceraré.

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

  • (a) he macerado
  • (b) macerábamos
  • (c) macerarías
  • (d) maceremos

Answer: (a) he macerado. The I form in the present perfect is he macerado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la fruta.

  • (a) maceréis
  • (b) macere
  • (c) maceres
  • (d) maceren

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

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

  • (a) habría macerado
  • (b) macerará
  • (c) has macerado
  • (d) maceramos

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

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

  • (a) maceré
  • (b) maceraba
  • (c) habrías macerado
  • (d) habrás macerado

Answer: (a) maceré. The I form in the preterite is maceré.

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

  • (a) macerara
  • (b) ha macerado
  • (c) habríamos macerado
  • (d) maceran

Answer: (d) maceran. The they form in the present is maceran.

Frequently asked questions about macerar

Is macerar regular?

Yes. Macerar is a regular -ar verb: macero, maceras, macera. See the full conjugation of macerar for every tense.

What is the difference between macerar and marinar?

Macerar means to marinate. Marinar means to marinate. Use macerar when you mean to marinate, as in Yo macero la fruta.

How do I say “I marinate” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo maceré en vino. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo maceraba las fresas.

How can I practise macerar?

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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