Merendar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb merendar means to have a snack, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Merendar means to have a snack or an afternoon snack, and it names the light meal between lunch and dinner, usually in the late afternoon. It is a stem-changing verb, e to ie, and it takes a direct object for the food: merendar un bocadillo. Like every Spanish verb, merendar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say meriendo un bocadillo a las seis, and in the preterite you say merendé fruta y un yogur. 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: merendar
  • English: to have a snack
  • Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: merendando
  • Past participle: merendado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + merendado)
  • Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for merendar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. The stem changes e to ie: yo meriendo, tú meriendas, but nosotros merendamos keeps the e.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for merendar. 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.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo meriendo
tú meriendas
él/ella/Ud. merienda
nosotros/as merendamos
vosotros/as merendáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. meriendan

Preterite

Person Form
yo merendé
tú merendaste
él/ella/Ud. merendó
nosotros/as merendamos
vosotros/as merendasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. merendaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo merendaba
tú merendabas
él/ella/Ud. merendaba
nosotros/as merendábamos
vosotros/as merendabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. merendaban

Future

Person Form
yo merendaré
tú merendarás
él/ella/Ud. merendará
nosotros/as merendaremos
vosotros/as merendaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. merendarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo merendaría
tú merendarías
él/ella/Ud. merendaría
nosotros/as merendaríamos
vosotros/as merendaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. merendarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he merendado
tú has merendado
él/ella/Ud. ha merendado
nosotros/as hemos merendado
vosotros/as habéis merendado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han merendado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había merendado
tú habías merendado
él/ella/Ud. había merendado
nosotros/as habíamos merendado
vosotros/as habíais merendado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían merendado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré merendado
tú habrás merendado
él/ella/Ud. habrá merendado
nosotros/as habremos merendado
vosotros/as habréis merendado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán merendado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría merendado
tú habrías merendado
él/ella/Ud. habría merendado
nosotros/as habríamos merendado
vosotros/as habríais merendado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían merendado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo meriende
tú meriendes
él/ella/Ud. meriende
nosotros/as merendemos
vosotros/as merendéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. merienden

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo merendara
tú merendaras
él/ella/Ud. merendara
nosotros/as merendáramos
vosotros/as merendarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. merendaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú merienda
él/ella/Ud. meriende
nosotros/as merendemos
vosotros/as merendad
ellos/ellas/Uds. merienden

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú meriendes
él/ella/Ud. meriende
nosotros/as merendemos
vosotros/as merendéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. merienden

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund merendando with estar for the progressive: estoy merendando
Past participle merendado with haber for the perfect tenses: he merendado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For merendar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Meriendo un bocadillo a las seis. Learn the present 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 with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, merendé con los niños después del colegio. 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 de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, merendaba fruta y un yogur. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, merendaré en el parque con amigos. 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 with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Merendaría un bocadillo a las seis si pudiera. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he merendado con los niños después del colegio. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había merendado fruta y un yogur antes de salir. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré merendado en el parque con amigos. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría merendado un bocadillo a las seis con más tiempo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For merendar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él meriende con los niños después del colegio. 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 this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merendar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él merendara fruta y un yogur, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For merendar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Merienda en el parque con amigos! Learn the affirmative imperative 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For merendar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No meriendes un bocadillo a las seis. Learn the negative imperative 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 merendar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Meriendo un bocadillo a las seis. — I have a snack a sandwich at six.
  2. Merienda con los niños después del colegio. — He/she has a snack with the children after school.
  3. Ayer, merendé fruta y un yogur. — Yesterday, I had a snack fruit and a yoghurt.
  4. Antes, nosotros merendábamos en el parque con amigos. — Before, we used to have a snack in the park with friends.
  5. Mañana, tú merendarás un bocadillo a las seis. — Tomorrow, you will have a snack a sandwich at six.
  6. Yo merendaría con los niños después del colegio si tuviera más tiempo. — I would have a snack with the children after school if I had more time.
  7. Él ha merendado fruta y un yogur. — He has had a snack fruit and a yoghurt.
  8. Espero que él meriende en el parque con amigos. — I hope he has a snack in the park with friends.
  9. Yo ya había merendado un bocadillo a las seis antes de salir. — I had already had a snack a sandwich at six before leaving.
  10. Ellos merendaban con los niños después del colegio cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to have a snack with the children after school when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo merienda un bocadillo a las seis. — Right: Yo meriendo un bocadillo a las seis. — The person matters: merienda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is meriendo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo merendo con los niños después del colegio. — Right: Yo meriendo con los niños después del colegio. — In the present, the correct first-person form is meriendo, not merendo. merendar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating merendar and cenar as identical in every context. — Right: Merendar means to have a snack, while cenar means to have dinner. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: merendar fits sentences such as Meriendo un bocadillo a las seis, while cenar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy merendado con los niños después del colegio. — Right: Yo he merendado con los niños después del colegio. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he merendado, has merendado, ha merendado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo merendé fruta y un yogur todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo merendaba fruta y un yogur todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (merendaba), not the preterite. The preterite (merendé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on merendar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un bocadillo a las seis. (present tense) A. meriendo B. meriendas C. merienda D. merendamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con los niños después del colegio. (preterite) A. merendé B. merendaste C. merendaron D. merendó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ fruta y un yogur. (imperfect) A. merendabas B. merendaban C. merendábamos D. merendaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en el parque con amigos. (future) A. merendaremos B. merendarás C. merendaré D. merendará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un bocadillo a las seis si pudiera. (conditional) A. merendaría B. merendarías C. merendarían D. meriendo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con los niños después del colegio. (present subjunctive) A. meriendes B. merendemos C. meriendo D. meriende

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ fruta y un yogur, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. merendáramos B. meriendo C. merendara D. merendaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en el parque con amigos. (present perfect) A. han merendado B. hemos merendado C. he merendado D. has merendado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ un bocadillo a las seis! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. merienda B. meriende C. merendemos D. merendad

  10. Which is the gerund of merendar, used with estar for the progressive? A. merendado B. meriendo C. merendé D. merendando

Answer key

  1. meriendo — The first-person present of merendar is meriendo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. merendó — The third-person preterite of merendar is merendó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. merendábamos — The nosotros imperfect of merendar is merendábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. merendarás — The second-person future of merendar is merendarás.
  5. merendaría — The first-person conditional of merendar is merendaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. meriende — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of merendar is meriende.
  7. merendara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of merendar is merendara.
  8. hemos merendado — The nosotros present perfect of merendar is hemos merendado: hemos + merendado.
  9. merienda — The affirmative tú imperative of merendar is merienda.
  10. merendando — The gerund of merendar is merendando: estoy merendando. The participle merendado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does merendar mean in English?

Merendar means to have a snack. It is used in everyday situations such as Meriendo un bocadillo a las seis. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is merendar regular or irregular?

Merendar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.

What is the difference between merendar and cenar?

Merendar means to have a snack, while cenar means to have dinner. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use merendar when you mean to have a snack, as in Meriendo un bocadillo a las seis, and use cenar for to have dinner. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I have a snack” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo merendé con los niños después del colegio. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo merendaba fruta y un yogur. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he merendado con los niños después del colegio.

How do I practise merendar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the merendar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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