Introduction

Marinar means “to marinate”, and this page covers exactly one thing: marinar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for marinar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about marinar in the present. Marinar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo marino el pollo” — "I marinate the chicken". Everything on this page uses the forms of marinar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Marinar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo marino
tú marinas
él/ella/Ud. marina
nosotros/as marinamos
vosotros/as marináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. marinan

Gerund: marinando · Past participle: marinado

The gerund is marinando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy marinando” means the action of marinar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is marinado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he marinado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how marinar is used.

How the present of marinar is formed

Marinar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem marin and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving marino, marinas, marina, marinamos, marináis, marinan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, marináis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of marinar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form marináis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form marino is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of marinar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use marinar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, marinar goes in the present. Example: “Yo marino en limón” — "I marinate in lemon".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about marinar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él marina el pescado” — "He marinates the fish".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so marino can mean both "I marinate" and "I am marinating". Example: “Yo marino el pollo” — "I marinate the chicken".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros marinamos en limón” — "We marinate in lemon".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with marinar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él marina el pescado” — "He marinates the fish".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo marino el pollo” — "I marinate the chicken".

  • Preterite: “Yo mariné el pollo” — "I marinated the chicken".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él marina en limón” — "He marinates in lemon".

  • Preterite: “Él marinó en limón” — "He marinated in lemon".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros marinamos el pescado” — "We marinate the fish".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros marinamos el pescado” — "We marinated the fish".

  • The two sentences look identical: marinamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: marinar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo marino en limón” — "I marinate in lemon"

  2. “Tú marinas el pescado” — "You marinate the fish"

  3. “Él marina el pollo” — "He marinates the chicken"

  4. “Nosotros marinamos en limón” — "We marinate in lemon"

  5. “Vosotros marináis el pescado” — "You marinate the fish"

  6. “Ellos marinan el pollo” — "They marinate the chicken"

  7. “Yo marino en limón” — "I marinate in lemon"

  8. “Él marina el pescado” — "He marinates the fish"

Common mistakes with marinar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos marina el pollo” Right: “Ellos marinan el pollo” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form marinan. The singular marina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo mariné” Right: “Todos los días, yo marino” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (mariné) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo marina el pollo.” Right: “Yo marino el pollo” Why: Yo needs the yo form marino. The él form marina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo marino” Right: “Ayer, yo mariné” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to mariné.

Quiz: marinar in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ el pescado.” (yo form)

A. marináis B. marina C. marino D. marinan

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el pollo.” (tú form)

A. marino B. marinas C. marina D. marinan

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ en limón.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. marina B. marinan C. marinamos D. marináis

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ el pescado.” (nosotros/as form)

A. marino B. marinamos C. marina D. marinas

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ el pollo.” (vosotros/as form)

A. marinan B. marináis C. marino D. marinamos

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ en limón.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. marina B. marino C. marinan D. marináis

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo marino B. Todos los días, yo mariné

Answer key

  1. marino — The yo present of marinar is marino.
  2. marinas — The tú present of marinar is marinas.
  3. marina — The él/ella/Ud. present of marinar is marina.
  4. marinamos — The nosotros/as present of marinar is marinamos.
  5. marináis — The vosotros/as present of marinar is marináis.
  6. marinan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of marinar is marinan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo marino — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of marinar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo marino el pollo. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of marinar formed?

Take the stem marin- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving marino, marinas, marina, marinamos, marináis, marinan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for marinar?

The present (marino) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (mariné) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise marinar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — marino, marinas, marina, marinamos, marináis, marinan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the marinar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of marinar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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