Pastar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
pastar means "to graze" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows pastar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of pastar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with pastar
Everyday use
Pastar means to graze. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo pasto en el campo — "I graze in the field"
- Él pasta hierba fresca — "He grazes fresh grass"
- Todo el día, yo pasté — "All day, I grazed"
- Yo pastaba en el campo — "I used to graze in the field"
- Yo pastaré hierba fresca — "I will graze fresh grass"
- Todo el día, yo he pastado — "All day, I have grazed"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Todo el día, él pastó — "All day, he grazed"
- Él pastaba en el campo — "He used to graze in the field"
- Tú pastarás hierba fresca — "You will graze fresh grass"
- Todo el día, yo pastaría — "All day, I would graze"
- Yo había pastado en el campo — "I had grazed in the field"
- Nosotros pastamos hierba fresca — "We graze fresh grass"
Pastar in conversation
The two dialogues below show pastar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú pastas en el campo? — "Do you graze in the field?"
- Sí, yo pasto en el campo cada día. — "Yes, I graze in the field every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú pastaste hierba fresca? — "And yesterday? Did you graze fresh grass?"
- Sí, yo pasté hierba fresca. — "Yes, I grazed fresh grass."
- Mañana, todo el día, yo pastaré también. — "Tomorrow, all day, I will graze too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros pastáis en el campo? — "Do you graze in the field?"
- Sí, nosotros pastamos en el campo los fines de semana. — "Yes, We graze in the field at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos pastan hierba fresca? — "And them? Do they graze fresh grass?"
- Sí, ellos pastan hierba fresca también. — "Yes, They graze fresh grass too."
- Mañana nosotros pastaremos hierba fresca otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will graze fresh grass again."
Useful phrases with pastar
Four patterns you can use with pastar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a pastar en el campo. — "I am going to graze in the field."
- Quiero pastar hierba fresca. — "I want to graze fresh grass."
- Me gusta pastar todo el día. — "I like to graze all day."
- Acabo de pastar en el campo. — "I have just grazed in the field."
Common mistakes with pastar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos pasta en el campo.
- Right: Ellos pastan en el campo.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pastan. The singular pasta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo pasté.
- Right: Todos los días, yo pasto.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy pastado hierba fresca.
- Right: Yo he pastado hierba fresca.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pastado, has pastado, ha pastado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo pasto.
- Right: Ayer, yo pasté.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (pasté). The present (pasto) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él pasta en el campo.
- Right: Espero que él paste en el campo.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: paste. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: pastar in use
Ten questions on pastar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of pastar in the present tense?
- (a) ha pastado
- (b) habría pastado
- (c) pasto
- (d) paste
Answer: (c) pasto. The I form in the present is pasto.
2. What is the he / she form of pastar in the present tense?
- (a) habíais pastado
- (b) has pastado
- (c) pasta
- (d) pastes
Answer: (c) pasta. The he / she form in the present is pasta.
3. What is the he / she form of pastar in the preterite tense?
- (a) paste
- (b) pasto
- (c) pastó
- (d) habréis pastado
Answer: (c) pastó. The he / she form in the preterite is pastó.
4. What is the I form of pastar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) habrán pastado
- (b) pastaste
- (c) pastaba
- (d) pastaras
Answer: (c) pastaba. The I form in the imperfect is pastaba.
5. What is the I form of pastar in the future tense?
- (a) pastaría
- (b) pastaban
- (c) pastaran
- (d) pastaré
Answer: (d) pastaré. The I form in the future is pastaré.
6. What is the I form of pastar in the present perfect tense?
- (a) habréis pastado
- (b) he pastado
- (c) pasto
- (d) han pastado
Answer: (b) he pastado. The I form in the present perfect is he pastado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el campo.
- (a) paste
- (b) pastéis
- (c) pastemos
- (d) pastes
Answer: (a) paste. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is paste.
8. What is the we form of pastar in the present tense?
- (a) pastamos
- (b) habíamos pastado
- (c) pasté
- (d) pastaríamos
Answer: (a) pastamos. The we form in the present is pastamos.
9. What is the I form of pastar in the preterite tense?
- (a) pastarán
- (b) pasté
- (c) pastáis
- (d) pastas
Answer: (b) pasté. The I form in the preterite is pasté.
10. What is the they form of pastar in the present tense?
- (a) habríais pastado
- (b) hemos pastado
- (c) habríamos pastado
- (d) pastan
Answer: (d) pastan. The they form in the present is pastan.
Frequently asked questions about pastar
Is pastar regular?
Yes. Pastar is a regular -ar verb: pasto, pastas, pasta. See the full conjugation of pastar for every tense.
What is the past participle of pastar?
The past participle is pastado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he pastado. The gerund is pastando, used with estar: estoy pastando.
How do I say “I graze” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo pasté hierba fresca. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Todo el día, yo pastaba.
How can I practise pastar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.