Patinar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb patinar means to skate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Patinar means to skate, and it covers ice skating, roller skating and skateboarding. It is fully regular, and it appears in sport, winter and leisure contexts, usually with en el hielo, en la pista or con los patines. Like every Spanish verb, patinar 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 patino sobre hielo en invierno, and in the preterite you say patiné con los amigos el sábado. 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: patinar
- English: to skate
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: patinando
- Past participle: patinado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + patinado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for patinar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Patinar is fully regular: patiné, patinaba, patinaré. The object is the surface or the place, not a verb.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for patinar. 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 | patino |
| tú | patinas |
| él/ella/Ud. | patina |
| nosotros/as | patinamos |
| vosotros/as | patináis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patiné |
| tú | patinaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | patinó |
| nosotros/as | patinamos |
| vosotros/as | patinasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patinaba |
| tú | patinabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | patinaba |
| nosotros/as | patinábamos |
| vosotros/as | patinabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patinaré |
| tú | patinarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | patinará |
| nosotros/as | patinaremos |
| vosotros/as | patinaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patinaría |
| tú | patinarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | patinaría |
| nosotros/as | patinaríamos |
| vosotros/as | patinaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he patinado |
| tú | has patinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha patinado |
| nosotros/as | hemos patinado |
| vosotros/as | habéis patinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han patinado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había patinado |
| tú | habías patinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había patinado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos patinado |
| vosotros/as | habíais patinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían patinado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré patinado |
| tú | habrás patinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá patinado |
| nosotros/as | habremos patinado |
| vosotros/as | habréis patinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán patinado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría patinado |
| tú | habrías patinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría patinado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos patinado |
| vosotros/as | habríais patinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían patinado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patine |
| tú | patines |
| él/ella/Ud. | patine |
| nosotros/as | patinemos |
| vosotros/as | patinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | patinara |
| tú | patinaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | patinara |
| nosotros/as | patináramos |
| vosotros/as | patinarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | patina |
| él/ella/Ud. | patine |
| nosotros/as | patinemos |
| vosotros/as | patinad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | patines |
| él/ella/Ud. | patine |
| nosotros/as | patinemos |
| vosotros/as | patinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | patinen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | patinando | with estar for the progressive: estoy patinando |
| Past participle | patinado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he patinado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For patinar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Patino sobre hielo en invierno. 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 patinar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, patiné en la pista del parque. 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 patinar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, patinaba con los amigos el sábado. 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 patinar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, patinaré en el parque con los patines. 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 patinar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Patinaría sobre hielo en invierno 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 patinar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he patinado en la pista del parque. 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 patinar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había patinado con los amigos el sábado 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 patinar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré patinado en el parque con los patines. 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 patinar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría patinado sobre hielo en invierno 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For patinar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él patine en la pista del parque. 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 patinar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él patinara con los amigos el sábado, 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For patinar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Patina en el parque con los patines! 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For patinar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No patines sobre hielo en invierno. 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 patinar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Patino sobre hielo en invierno. — I skate on ice in winter.
- Patina en la pista del parque. — He/she skates on the rink in the park.
- Ayer, patiné con los amigos el sábado. — Yesterday, I skated with friends on Saturday.
- Antes, nosotros patinábamos en el parque con los patines. — Before, we used to skate in the park with skates.
- Mañana, tú patinarás sobre hielo en invierno. — Tomorrow, you will skate on ice in winter.
- Yo patinaría en la pista del parque si tuviera más tiempo. — I would skate on the rink in the park if I had more time.
- Él ha patinado con los amigos el sábado. — He has skated with friends on Saturday.
- Espero que él patine en el parque con los patines. — I hope he skates in the park with skates.
- Yo ya había patinado sobre hielo en invierno antes de salir. — I had already skated on ice in winter before leaving.
- Ellos patinaban en la pista del parque cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to skate on the rink in the park when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo patina sobre hielo en invierno. — Right: Yo patino sobre hielo en invierno. — The person matters: patina is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is patino. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo patino en la pista del parque. — Right: Ayer yo patiné en la pista del parque. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: patino is happening now, while patiné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating patinar and esquiar as identical in every context. — Right: Patinar means to skate, while esquiar means to ski. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: patinar fits sentences such as Patino sobre hielo en invierno, while esquiar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy patinado en la pista del parque. — Right: Yo he patinado en la pista del parque. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he patinado, has patinado, ha patinado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo patiné con los amigos el sábado todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo patinaba con los amigos el sábado todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (patinaba), not the preterite. The preterite (patiné) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on patinar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sobre hielo en invierno. (present tense) A. patino B. patinas C. patina D. patinamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en la pista del parque. (preterite) A. patiné B. patinaste C. patinaron D. patinó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con los amigos el sábado. (imperfect) A. patinabas B. patinaban C. patinábamos D. patinaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en el parque con los patines. (future) A. patinaremos B. patinarás C. patinaré D. patinará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sobre hielo en invierno si pudiera. (conditional) A. patinaría B. patinarías C. patinarían D. patino
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en la pista del parque. (present subjunctive) A. patines B. patinemos C. patino D. patine
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con los amigos el sábado, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. patináramos B. patino C. patinara D. patinaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en el parque con los patines. (present perfect) A. han patinado B. hemos patinado C. he patinado D. has patinado
Complete the command: ¡___ sobre hielo en invierno! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. patina B. patine C. patinemos D. patinad
Which is the gerund of patinar, used with estar for the progressive? A. patinado B. patino C. patiné D. patinando
Answer key
- patino — The first-person present of patinar is patino. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- patinó — The third-person preterite of patinar is patinó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- patinábamos — The nosotros imperfect of patinar is patinábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- patinarás — The second-person future of patinar is patinarás.
- patinaría — The first-person conditional of patinar is patinaría, the form for what would happen.
- patine — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of patinar is patine.
- patinara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of patinar is patinara.
- hemos patinado — The nosotros present perfect of patinar is hemos patinado: hemos + patinado.
- patina — The affirmative tú imperative of patinar is patina.
- patinando — The gerund of patinar is patinando: estoy patinando. The participle patinado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does patinar mean in English?
Patinar means to skate. It is used in everyday situations such as Patino sobre hielo en invierno. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is patinar regular or irregular?
Patinar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including patino in the present and patiné in the preterite.
What is the difference between patinar and esquiar?
Patinar means to skate, while esquiar means to ski. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use patinar when you mean to skate, as in Patino sobre hielo en invierno, and use esquiar for to ski. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I skate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo patiné en la pista del parque. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo patinaba con los amigos el sábado. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he patinado en la pista del parque.
How do I practise patinar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the patinar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Patinar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for patinar.
- Patinar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for patinar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Esquiar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with patinar.
- Montar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with patinar.
- Bucear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with patinar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.