Maquillar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

maquillar means to apply makeup to, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo maquillo todos los días» — I apply makeup to every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use maquillar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Maquillar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where maquillar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo maquillo todos los días. — I apply makeup to every day.
  2. Tú maquillas en el trabajo. — You apply makeup to at work.
  3. Él maquilla con mi familia. — He applies makeup to with my family.
  4. Nosotros maquillamos por la mañana. — We apply makeup to in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo maquillé por la tarde. — Yesterday I applied makeup to in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo maquillaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to apply makeup to every day.
  3. La semana pasada él maquilló dos veces. — Last week He applied makeup to twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo maquillaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will apply makeup to without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo maquillaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would apply makeup to right now.
  3. Hoy yo he maquillado dos veces. — Today I have applied makeup to twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú maquilles pronto. — I hope You apply makeup to soon.
  2. ¡maquilla, por favor! — Apply makeup to, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy maquillando. — Right now I am applying makeup to.

Maquillar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo maquillo en el trabajo.» — I apply makeup to at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo maquillo con mi familia.» — I apply makeup to with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo maquillaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will apply makeup to without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo maquillaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would apply makeup to right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he maquillado dos veces.» — Today I have applied makeup to twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo maquillé por la tarde. Antes, yo maquillaba todos los días. Hoy yo he maquillado dos veces. Mañana yo maquillaré sin falta.

Yesterday I applied makeup to in the afternoon. In the past, I used to apply makeup to every day. Today I have applied makeup to twice. Tomorrow I will apply makeup to without fail.

Common mistakes with maquillar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo maquillaba.

Right: Ayer yo maquillé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, maquillé. The imperfect maquillaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú maquillas.

Right: Espero que tú maquilles.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: maquilles, not the indicative maquillas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No maquilla.

Right: No maquilles.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no maquilles. The affirmative maquilla can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo maquillar todos los días.

Right: Yo maquillo todos los días.

The infinitive maquillar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo maquillo.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He maquillando.

Right: He maquillado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he maquillado. The gerund maquillando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy maquillando»), never with haber.

Quiz: maquillar in use

Test yourself on maquillar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of maquillar in the present indicative?

- (a) maquilla
- (b) maquillo
- (c) maquillas
- (d) maquillamos

2. What is the nosotros/as form of maquillar in the preterite?

- (a) maquillaste
- (b) maquillé
- (c) maquilló
- (d) maquillamos

3. What is the vosotros/as form of maquillar in the future?

- (a) maquillaréis
- (b) maquillaré
- (c) maquillará
- (d) maquillarás

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of maquillar in the present perfect?

- (a) he maquillado
- (b) han maquillado
- (c) ha maquillado
- (d) has maquillado

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of maquillar in the imperfect?

- (a) maquillaba
- (b) maquillabas
- (c) maquillaba
- (d) maquillábamos

6. What is the gerund of maquillar?

- (a) maquillo
- (b) maquillado
- (c) maquillar
- (d) maquillando

7. What is the past participle of maquillar?

- (a) maquillé
- (b) maquillar
- (c) maquillado
- (d) maquillando

8. Which sentence uses maquillar correctly?

- (a) *Yo maquilla todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo maquillas todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo maquillar todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo maquillo todos los días.* — I apply makeup to every day.

9. Which sentence uses maquillar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo maquillaba por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo maquillé por la tarde.* — Yesterday I applied makeup to in the afternoon.
- (c) *Ayer yo maquillo por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo maquillar por la tarde.*

10. What does maquillar mean?

- (a) to stay
- (b) to apply makeup to
- (c) to mature
- (d) to kill

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of maquillar is maquilla. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the preterite, the nosotros/as form of maquillar is maquillamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the future, the vosotros/as form of maquillar is maquillaréis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of maquillar is han maquillado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of maquillar is maquillaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — The gerund of maquillar is maquillando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy maquillando». 7. (c) — The past participle of maquillar is maquillado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he maquillado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of maquillar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (b) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of maquillar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (b) — maquillar means «to apply makeup to».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I apply makeup to' in Spanish?

Say «Yo maquillo todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I applied makeup to' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo maquillé por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is maquillar reflexive?

No — maquillar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo maquillo, tú maquillas, él maquilla. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with maquillar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (maquillé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (maquillaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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