Introduction
Nadar means “to swim”, and this page covers exactly one thing: nadar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for nadar, 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 nadar in the present. Nadar is the verb for swimming in a pool, in the sea or in a lake. It is followed by en for the place. For example: “Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool. Everything on this page uses the forms of nadar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Nadar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | nado |
| tú | nadas |
| él/ella/Ud. | nada |
| nosotros/as | nadamos |
| vosotros/as | nadáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | nadan |
Gerund: nadando · Past participle: nadado
The gerund is nadando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy nadando” means the action of nadar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is nadado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he nadado” 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 nadar is used.
How the present of nadar is formed
Nadar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem nad (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you nado, nadas, nada, nadamos, nadáis and nadan. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.
When to use the present of nadar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use nadar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Swimming in a pool or the sea
Nadar is the verb for swimming in a pool, in the sea or in a lake. It is followed by en for the place. Example: “Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool.
2. Swimming as sport
Nadar also describes swimming as a sport: training, competing, racing. The distance or the style can follow. Example: “Mi hermano nada cien metros.” — My brother swims a hundred metres.
3. Swimming for pleasure
Nadar por placer means to swim for pleasure. It is how you describe a relaxed swim rather than training. Example: “Nosotros nadamos por placer en verano.” — We swim for pleasure in summer.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and nadar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with nadar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros nadamos por placer en verano.” — We swim for pleasure in summer.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo nado en la piscina todos los días.” — I swim in the pool every day.
Preterite: “Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.” — Yesterday I swam in the pool.
Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “Mi hermano nada cien metros cada día.” — My brother swims a hundred metres every day.
Preterite: “Mi hermano nadó cien metros ayer.” — My brother swam a hundred metres yesterday.
Cada día signals repetition, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo nado en la piscina.” — I swim in the pool.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo nadé en la piscina.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: nadar 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.
“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.
“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.
Common mistakes with nadar 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: “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.
Quiz: nadar 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 ______ en la piscina.” (I swim in the pool.)
- (a) nadas
- (b) nada
- (c) nado
Answer: nado — The yo form of nadar in the present is nado. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ en el mar?” (Do you swim in the sea?)
- (a) nada
- (b) nadas
- (c) nado
Answer: nadas — The tú form of nadar in the present is nadas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi hermano ______ cien metros.” (My brother swims a hundred metres.)
- (a) nada
- (b) nado
- (c) nadas
Answer: nada — The él/ella/Ud. form of nadar in the present is nada. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ por placer en verano.” (We swim for pleasure in summer.)
- (a) nado
- (b) nadas
- (c) nadamos
Answer: nadamos — The nosotros/as form of nadar in the present is nadamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of nadar in the present?
- (a) nadas
- (b) nadáis
- (c) nado
Answer: nadáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes nadáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros nadáis en el lago.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ todos los días.” (They swim every day.)
- (a) nado
- (b) nadas
- (c) nadan
Answer: nadan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is nadan.
7. Which is the correct yo form of nadar in the present?
- (a) nado
- (b) nada
- (c) nadan
Answer: nado — The yo form is nado. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo nado en la piscina todos los días.
- (b) Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.
- (c) Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.
Answer: Yo nado en la piscina todos los días. — “Yo nado en la piscina todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is nadar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Nadar is a regular -ar verb: the stem is nad- and the present endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does nadar take en or a before a place?
En: nadar en la piscina, nadar en el mar, nadar en el lago. The en marks where you swim. Use a only for a destination you swim to, which is rare: 'Nado a la orilla' means I swim to the shore.
What is the difference between nadar and bañarse?
Nadar means to swim, the sport or the movement, while bañarse means to bathe or to take a dip, usually for pleasure. You swim lengths (nadar) and you take a dip in the sea (bañarse en el mar). The two overlap at the beach, but nadar is the verb for the activity itself.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of nadar — every tense of nadar in one place.
- Nadar examples and quiz — more sentences with nadar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on nadar and other verbs.