Introduction
Nadar means “to swim”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Nadar is the verb for swimming in a pool, in the sea or in a lake. It is followed by en for the place. Nadar also describes swimming as a sport: training, competing, racing. The distance or the style can follow. This page shows nadar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool.
Nadar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how nadar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use nadar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool.
“¿Tú nadas en el mar?” — Do you swim in the sea?
“Mi hermano nada cien metros.” — My brother swims a hundred metres.
“Nosotros nadamos por placer en verano.” — We swim for pleasure in summer.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show nadar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.” — Yesterday I swam in the pool. (preterite)
“Mi hermano nadaba cien metros cada día.” — My brother used to swim a hundred metres every day. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of nadar stays the same.
“Nosotros nadaremos en el mar mañana.” — We will swim in the sea tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has nadado alguna vez en el mar?” — Have you ever swum in the sea? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros nadáis en el lago.” — You swim in the lake.
“Ellos nadan todos los días.” — They swim every day.
“Yo nado de espaldas.” — I swim backstroke.
“El niño nada con flotador.” — The child swims with armbands.
Nadar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how nadar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Ana: “¿Tú nadas en el mar?” — Do you swim in the sea?
Luis: “Sí, yo nado en la piscina.” — Yes, I swim in the pool.
Ana: “Nosotros nadamos por placer en verano.” — We swim for pleasure in summer.
Luis: “Y ellos nadan todos los días.” — And they swim every day.
Ana: “Vosotros nadáis en el lago.” — You swim in the lake.
Luis: “Sí, y mi hermano nada cien metros.” — Yes, and my brother swims a hundred metres.
A short paragraph
Ana nada en la piscina, y su hermano nada cien metros. Nosotros nadamos por placer en verano, y ellos nadan todos los días. Yo nado de espaldas, y el niño nada con flotador. Nadar is part of every summer, because swimming in a pool, swimming as a sport and swimming for pleasure are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with nadar
These are the errors learners actually make with nadar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo nado a la piscina.” Right: “Yo nado en la piscina.” Why: Swimming in a place takes en, not a: nado en la piscina. The a would mean you swim to the pool, which is a different sentence about the journey, not the swim.
Wrong: “Ellos nada todos los días.” Right: “Ellos nadan todos los días.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form nadan. The singular nada belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi hermano.
Wrong: “Yo nado en la piscina ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished swim yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to nadé.
Wrong: “Nosotros nadas por placer.” Right: “Nosotros nadamos por placer.” Why: Nosotros needs nadamos. The tú form nadas belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos nado todos los días.” Right: “Ellos nadan todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form nadan, not the yo form nado. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: nadar in use
Ten questions on nadar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ en el lago.” (You swim in the lake.)
- (a) nadas
- (b) nadáis
- (c) nado
Answer: nadáis — The vosotros/as form of nadar in the present tense is nadáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ todos los días.” (They swim every day.)
- (a) nadan
- (b) nado
- (c) nadas
Answer: nadan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of nadar in the present tense is nadan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ en la piscina.” (Yesterday I swam in the pool.)
- (a) nadaste
- (b) nadó
- (c) nadé
Answer: nadé — In the preterite, the yo form of nadar is nadé.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Mi hermano ______ cien metros cada día.” (My brother used to swim a hundred metres every day.)
- (a) nadabas
- (b) nadaba
- (c) nadaba
Answer: nadaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of nadar is nadaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ en el mar mañana.” (We will swim in the sea tomorrow.)
- (a) nadaremos
- (b) nadaré
- (c) nadarás
Answer: nadaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of nadar is nadaremos.
6. What does nadar mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to swim
Answer: to swim — Nadar means “to swim”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo nado en la piscina.
- (b) Yo nado a la piscina.
- (c) Ellos nada todos los días.
Answer: Yo nado en la piscina. — “Yo nado en la piscina.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I swim backstroke.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo nadan de espaldas.
- (b) Yo nado de espaldas.
- (c) El niño nada con flotador.
Answer: Yo nado de espaldas. — “Yo nado de espaldas.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of nadar in the present tense?
- (a) nado
- (b) nadas
- (c) nadamos
Answer: nadamos — The nosotros form is nadamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.
- (b) Nosotros nadaremos en el mar mañana.
- (c) Yo nado en la piscina.
Answer: Yo nado en la piscina. — “Yo nado en la piscina.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I swim in the pool' in Spanish?
Say 'Nado en la piscina'. The place takes en. For the sea: 'Nado en el mar'.
How do you say 'to swim backstroke' in Spanish?
Say 'nadar de espaldas'. In the present: 'Yo nado de espaldas'. For freestyle: 'Nado a crol'.
Can nadar be used without a place?
Yes. 'Ellos nadan todos los días' means 'They swim every day', with no place at all. Add en + place only when you want to say where: 'Nado en la piscina'.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of nadar — every tense of nadar in one place.
- Nadar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on nadar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of nadar until they are automatic.