Malgastar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

malgastar means "to waste (money)" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows malgastar 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 malgastar, 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 malgastar

Everyday use

Malgastar means to waste (money). The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo malgasto el dinero — "I waste the money"
  2. Él malgasta su tiempo — "He wastes his time"
  3. Yo malgasté en tonterías — "I wasted on silly things"
  4. Yo malgastaba el dinero — "I used to waste the money"
  5. Yo malgastaré su tiempo — "I will waste his time"
  6. Yo he malgastado en tonterías — "I have wasted on silly things"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él malgastó en tonterías — "He wasted on silly things"
  2. Él malgastaba el dinero — "He used to waste the money"
  3. Tú malgastarás su tiempo — "You will waste his time"
  4. Yo malgastaría en tonterías — "I would waste on silly things"
  5. Yo había malgastado el dinero — "I had wasted the money"
  6. Nosotros malgastamos su tiempo — "We waste his time"

Malgastar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú malgastas el dinero? — "Do you waste the money?"
  • Sí, yo malgasto el dinero cada día. — "Yes, I waste the money every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú malgastaste su tiempo? — "And yesterday? Did you waste his time?"
  • Sí, yo malgasté su tiempo. — "Yes, I wasted his time."
  • Mañana, yo malgastaré en tonterías también. — "Tomorrow, I will waste on silly things too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros malgastáis el dinero? — "Do you waste the money?"
  • Sí, nosotros malgastamos el dinero los fines de semana. — "Yes, We waste the money at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos malgastan su tiempo? — "And them? Do they waste his time?"
  • Sí, ellos malgastan su tiempo también. — "Yes, They waste his time too."
  • Mañana nosotros malgastaremos su tiempo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will waste his time again."

Useful phrases with malgastar

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

  • Voy a malgastar el dinero. — "I am going to waste the money."
  • Quiero malgastar su tiempo. — "I want to waste his time."
  • Me gusta malgastar en tonterías. — "I like to waste on silly things."
  • Acabo de malgastar el dinero. — "I have just wasted the money."

Common mistakes with malgastar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos malgasta el dinero.
  • Right: Ellos malgastan el dinero.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form malgastan. The singular malgasta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo malgasté.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo malgasto.
  • 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: Yo soy malgastado su tiempo.
  • Right: Yo he malgastado su tiempo.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he malgastado, has malgastado, ha malgastado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él malgasta el dinero.
  • Right: Espero que él malgaste el dinero.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: malgaste. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: malgastar in use

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

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

  • (a) malgasto
  • (b) habrá malgastado
  • (c) habréis malgastado
  • (d) malgastaran

Answer: (a) malgasto. The I form in the present is malgasto.

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

  • (a) habías malgastado
  • (b) malgastaría
  • (c) han malgastado
  • (d) malgasta

Answer: (d) malgasta. The he / she form in the present is malgasta.

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

  • (a) malgastó
  • (b) habríais malgastado
  • (c) malgastaba
  • (d) malgastasteis

Answer: (a) malgastó. The he / she form in the preterite is malgastó.

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

  • (a) habremos malgastado
  • (b) habré malgastado
  • (c) malgastaba
  • (d) malgastáis

Answer: (c) malgastaba. The I form in the imperfect is malgastaba.

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

  • (a) malgastaré
  • (b) malgastabas
  • (c) malgastas
  • (d) malgastaríais

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

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

  • (a) malgastarían
  • (b) habremos malgastado
  • (c) malgastaremos
  • (d) he malgastado

Answer: (d) he malgastado. The I form in the present perfect is he malgastado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el dinero.

  • (a) malgastes
  • (b) malgastemos
  • (c) malgaste
  • (d) malgasten

Answer: (c) malgaste. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is malgaste.

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

  • (a) habían malgastado
  • (b) había malgastado
  • (c) malgastamos
  • (d) malgastaron

Answer: (c) malgastamos. The we form in the present is malgastamos.

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

  • (a) malgastan
  • (b) malgasté
  • (c) has malgastado
  • (d) malgastábamos

Answer: (b) malgasté. The I form in the preterite is malgasté.

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

  • (a) malgasto
  • (b) malgastaba
  • (c) malgastáramos
  • (d) malgastan

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

Frequently asked questions about malgastar

Is malgastar regular?

Yes. Malgastar is a regular -ar verb: malgasto, malgastas, malgasta. See the full conjugation of malgastar for every tense.

What is the past participle of malgastar?

The past participle is malgastado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he malgastado. The gerund is malgastando, used with estar: estoy malgastando.

How do I say “I waste” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo malgasté su tiempo. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo malgastaba en tonterías.

How can I practise malgastar?

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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