Marinar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb marinar means to marinate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Marinar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of marinar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo marino el pollo — "I marinate the chicken" — and in the preterite you say Yo mariné en limón — "I marinated in lemon". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: marinar
- English: to marinate
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: marinando
- Past participle: marinado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + marinado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for marinar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for marinar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: marinando · Past participle: marinado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marino |
| tú | marinas |
| él/ella/Ud. | marina |
| nosotros/as | marinamos |
| vosotros/as | marináis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | mariné |
| tú | marinaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | marinó |
| nosotros/as | marinamos |
| vosotros/as | marinasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marinaba |
| tú | marinabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | marinaba |
| nosotros/as | marinábamos |
| vosotros/as | marinabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marinaré |
| tú | marinarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | marinará |
| nosotros/as | marinaremos |
| vosotros/as | marinaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marinaría |
| tú | marinarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | marinaría |
| nosotros/as | marinaríamos |
| vosotros/as | marinaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he marinado |
| tú | has marinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha marinado |
| nosotros/as | hemos marinado |
| vosotros/as | habéis marinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han marinado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había marinado |
| tú | habías marinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había marinado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos marinado |
| vosotros/as | habíais marinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían marinado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré marinado |
| tú | habrás marinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá marinado |
| nosotros/as | habremos marinado |
| vosotros/as | habréis marinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán marinado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría marinado |
| tú | habrías marinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría marinado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos marinado |
| vosotros/as | habríais marinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían marinado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marine |
| tú | marines |
| él/ella/Ud. | marine |
| nosotros/as | marinemos |
| vosotros/as | marinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | marinara |
| tú | marinaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | marinara |
| nosotros/as | marináramos |
| vosotros/as | marinarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | marina |
| él/ella/Ud. | marine |
| nosotros/as | marinemos |
| vosotros/as | marinad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | marines |
| él/ella/Ud. | marine |
| nosotros/as | marinemos |
| vosotros/as | marinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | marinen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | marinando | with estar for the progressive: estoy marinando |
| Past participle | marinado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he marinado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For marinar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo marino en limón — "I marinate in lemon". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For marinar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo mariné el pescado — "I marinated the fish". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For marinar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo marinaba el pollo — "I used to marinate the chicken". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For marinar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo marinaré en limón — "I will marinate in lemon". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For marinar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo marinaría el pescado — "I would marinate the fish". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For marinar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he marinado el pollo — "I have marinated the chicken". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For marinar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había marinado en limón — "I had marinated in lemon". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For marinar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré marinado el pescado — "I will have marinated the fish". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For marinar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría marinado el pollo — "I would have marinated the chicken". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For marinar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él marine en limón — "I hope he marinates in lemon". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For marinar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo marinara el pescado, todo cambiaría — "If I marinated the fish, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For marinar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Marine el pollo — "Let him marinate the chicken". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For marinar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No marines en limón — "Don't marinate in lemon". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with marinar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo marino el pescado — "I marinate the fish"
- Él marina el pollo — "He marinates the chicken"
- Yo mariné en limón — "I marinated in lemon"
- Yo marinaba el pescado — "I used to marinate the fish"
- Tú marinarás el pollo — "You will marinate the chicken"
- Yo marinaría en limón — "I would marinate in lemon"
- Él ha marinado el pescado — "He has marinated the fish"
- Espero que él marine el pollo — "I hope he marinates the chicken"
- Yo había marinado en limón — "I had marinated in lemon"
- Ellos marinaban el pescado — "They used to marinate the fish"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos marina el pollo — Right: Ellos marinan el pollo — Ellos needs the ellos form marinan. The singular marina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo marino — Right: Ayer, yo mariné — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to mariné.
- Wrong: De niño, yo mariné todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo marinaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (marinaba), not the preterite. The preterite (mariné) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy marinado en limón. — Right: Yo he marinado en limón. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he marinado, has marinado, ha marinado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Treating marinar and macerar as identical in every context. — Right: Marinar means to marinate, while macerar means to marinate, to macerate. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: marinar fits sentences such as Yo marino el pollo, while macerar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on marinar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pollo. (present tense) A. marino B. habría marinado C. marinaba D. marinara
Complete the sentence: Él ___ el pollo. (preterite) A. marino B. mariné C. marinasteis D. marinó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pollo. (imperfect) A. marinemos B. marinábamos C. marinaran D. ha marinado
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el pollo. (future) A. marinad B. marinarás C. marino D. marinaréis
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pollo. (conditional) A. marinamos B. marinaría C. han marinado D. marinemos
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el pollo. (present subjunctive) A. marinarías B. marinaríais C. marinaste D. marine
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el pollo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. marinara B. marinemos C. habéis marinado D. marinaran
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pollo. (present perfect) A. marinad B. hemos marinado C. marinábamos D. ha marinado
Complete the command: No ___ el pollo. (negative imperative, tú) A. marinen B. marinéis C. marinemos D. marines
Which is the gerund of marinar, used with estar for the progressive? A. marinado B. marinaba C. marinando D. mariné
Answer key
- marino — The yo present tense of marinar is marino.
- marinó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of marinar is marinó.
- marinábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of marinar is marinábamos.
- marinarás — The tú future of marinar is marinarás.
- marinaría — The yo conditional of marinar is marinaría.
- marine — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of marinar is marine.
- marinara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of marinar is marinara.
- hemos marinado — The nosotros/as present perfect of marinar is hemos marinado.
- marines — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: marines.
- marinando — The gerund of marinar is marinando: estoy marinando. The participle marinado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does marinar mean in English?
Marinar means to marinate. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo marino el pollo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is marinar regular?
Yes. Marinar is a regular -ar verb: marino, marinas, marina. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the difference between marinar and macerar?
Marinar means to marinate, while macerar means to marinate, to macerate. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use marinar when you mean to marinate, as in Yo marino el pollo, and use macerar for to marinate, to macerate. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I marinate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo mariné en limón. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo marinaba el pescado. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he marinado el pollo.
How do I practise marinar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the marinar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Marinar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for marinar.
- Marinar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for marinar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Gratinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with marinar.
- Tostar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with marinar.
- Untar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with marinar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.