Multar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

multar means “to fine” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Multar means to fine someone, to impose a money penalty for breaking a rule. It is used for traffic fines, parking fines and fines for breaking local rules, and it is a fully regular verb that turns up in driving, travel and news contexts. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of multar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the multar present tense page.

multar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. — “I fine the driver for double parking.”
  2. Él multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — “He fines the cyclist for running the red light.”
  3. Nosotros multamos a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “We fine the company for polluting the river.”
  4. Ellos multan con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. — “They fine with fifty euros for speeding.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo multé al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — “Yesterday, I fined the cyclist for running the red light.”
  2. Antes, nosotros multábamos a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “Before, we used to fine the company for polluting the river.”
  3. Él multó con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. — “He fined with fifty euros for speeding.”
  4. Yo ya había multado al conductor por aparcar en doble fila antes de salir. — “I had already fined the driver for double parking before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú multarás al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. — “Tomorrow, you will fine the driver for double parking.”
  2. Yo multaría al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would fine the cyclist for running the red light if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha multado a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “He has fined the company for polluting the river.”
  4. Espero que él multe con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. — “I hope he fines with fifty euros for speeding.”

multar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use multar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. — “I fine the driver for double parking.”
  • Bea: Él multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — “He fines the cyclist for running the red light.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo multé al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — “Yesterday, I fined the cyclist for running the red light.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú multarás al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. — “Tomorrow, you will fine the driver for double parking.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros multamos a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “We fine the company for polluting the river.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros multábamos a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “Before, we used to fine the company for polluting the river.”
  • Luis: Yo multaría al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would fine the cyclist for running the red light if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él multe con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. — “I hope he fines with fifty euros for speeding.”

A short scene with multar

A short scene shows how multar works across the day. In the morning: Multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. In the afternoon: Multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, multé a la empresa por contaminar el río. And tomorrow: Mañana, multaré con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how multar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with multar

The errors learners actually make with multar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo multa al conductor por aparcar en doble fila.

✓ Correct: Yo multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila.

The person matters: multa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is multo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo multo al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo multé al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: multo is happening now, while multé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating multar and sancionar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Multar means to fine, while sancionar means to sanction, in a wider sense.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: multar fits sentences such as Multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila, while sancionar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy multado al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.

✓ Correct: Yo he multado al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he multado, has multado, ha multado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo multé a la empresa por contaminar el río todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo multaba a la empresa por contaminar el río todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (multaba), not the preterite. The preterite (multé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: multar in use

Ten questions on multar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — “He/she fines the cyclist for running the red light.”

  • a) multa
  • b) multo
  • c) multas
  • d) multamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “Yesterday, I fined the company for polluting the river.”

  • a) multaste
  • b) multó
  • c) multaron
  • d) multé

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to fine with fifty euros for speeding when they were young.”

  • a) multabas
  • b) multábamos
  • c) multaban
  • d) multaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ al conductor por aparcar en doble fila. — “Tomorrow, we will fine the driver for double parking.”

  • a) multarán
  • b) multaremos
  • c) multaré
  • d) multarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo si pudiera. — “He would fine the cyclist for running the red light if he could.”

  • a) multaría
  • b) multarías
  • c) multaríamos
  • d) multo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a la empresa por contaminar el río. — “I have fined the company for polluting the river.”

  • a) has multado
  • b) ha multado
  • c) han multado
  • d) he multado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ con cincuenta euros por exceso de velocidad. — “I hope you fine with fifty euros for speeding.”

  • a) multemos
  • b) multo
  • c) multes
  • d) multe

8. Which is the past participle of multar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) multé
  • b) multado
  • c) multando
  • d) multo

9. What does multar mean in English?

  • a) to fine
  • b) to sanction, in a wider sense
  • c) to condemn
  • d) to pardon

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.
  • b) Él multo al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo.
  • c) Nosotros multa a la empresa por contaminar el río.
  • d) Yo multa al conductor por aparcar en doble fila.

Answer key

  1. a) multa — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: multa.

  2. d) multé — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: multé, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) multaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: multaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) multaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: multaremos.

  5. a) multaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: multaría.

  6. d) he multado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he multado, haber + multado.

  7. c) multes — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is multes.

  8. b) multado — The past participle is multado: he multado, has multado, ha multado. The gerund multando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to fine — multar means to fine. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. — Él multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use multar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Multo al conductor por aparcar en doble fila and Multa al ciclista por saltarse el semáforo. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between multar and sancionar?

Multar means “to fine”, while sancionar means “to sanction, in a wider sense”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use multar when you mean “to fine” and sancionar when you mean “to sanction, in a wider sense”.

Which tense do I need most with multar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use multar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is multar formal or informal?

Multar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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