Platicar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

platicar means "to chat" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows platicar 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 platicar, 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 platicar

Everyday use

Platicar means to chat. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo platico con sus amigos — "I chat with his friends"
  2. Toda la tarde, él platica — "All afternoon, he chats"
  3. Yo platiqué de todo — "I chated about everything"
  4. Yo platicaba con sus amigos — "I used to chat with his friends"
  5. Toda la tarde, yo platicaré — "All afternoon, I will chat"
  6. Yo he platicado de todo — "I have chated about everything"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él platicó de todo — "He chated about everything"
  2. Él platicaba con sus amigos — "He used to chat with his friends"
  3. Toda la tarde, tú platicarás — "All afternoon, you will chat"
  4. Yo platicaría de todo — "I would chat about everything"
  5. Yo había platicado con sus amigos — "I had chated with his friends"
  6. Toda la tarde, nosotros platicamos — "All afternoon, we chat"

Platicar in conversation

The two dialogues below show platicar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú platicas con sus amigos? — "Do you chat with his friends?"
  • Sí, yo platico con sus amigos cada día. — "Yes, I chat with his friends every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Toda la tarde, tú platicaste? — "And yesterday? Did you chat all afternoon?"
  • Sí, toda la tarde, yo platiqué. — "Yes, All afternoon, I chated."
  • Mañana, yo platicaré de todo también. — "Tomorrow, I will chat about everything too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros platicáis con sus amigos? — "Do you chat with his friends?"
  • Sí, nosotros platicamos con sus amigos los fines de semana. — "Yes, We chat with his friends at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Toda la tarde, ellos platican? — "And them? Do they chat all afternoon?"
  • Sí, toda la tarde, ellos platican también. — "Yes, All afternoon, they chat too."
  • Mañana toda la tarde, nosotros platicaremos otra vez. — "Tomorrow all afternoon, we will chat again."

Useful phrases with platicar

Four patterns you can use with platicar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a platicar con sus amigos. — "I am going to chat with his friends."
  • Quiero platicar toda la tarde. — "I want to chat all afternoon."
  • Me gusta platicar de todo. — "I like to chat about everything."
  • Acabo de platicar con sus amigos. — "I have just chated with his friends."

Common mistakes with platicar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos platica con sus amigos.
  • Right: Ellos platican con sus amigos.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form platican. The singular platica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo platiqué.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo platico.
  • 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 platicado toda la tarde.
  • Right: Yo he platicado toda la tarde.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he platicado, has platicado, ha platicado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo platico.
  • Right: Ayer, yo platiqué.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (platiqué). The present (platico) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él platica con sus amigos.
  • Right: Espero que él platique con sus amigos.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: platique. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: platicar in use

Ten questions on platicar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of platicar in the present tense?

  • (a) habrá platicado
  • (b) habían platicado
  • (c) platico
  • (d) platicaríamos

Answer: (c) platico. The I form in the present is platico.

2. What is the he / she form of platicar in the present tense?

  • (a) platicaríais
  • (b) platicáis
  • (c) platica
  • (d) habríais platicado

Answer: (c) platica. The he / she form in the present is platica.

3. What is the he / she form of platicar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) habríais platicado
  • (b) platiquemos
  • (c) platicáis
  • (d) platicó

Answer: (d) platicó. The he / she form in the preterite is platicó.

4. What is the I form of platicar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) ha platicado
  • (b) platicaríamos
  • (c) platicaba
  • (d) platiquemos

Answer: (c) platicaba. The I form in the imperfect is platicaba.

5. What is the I form of platicar in the future tense?

  • (a) habríais platicado
  • (b) platicaré
  • (c) platicáis
  • (d) platicará

Answer: (b) platicaré. The I form in the future is platicaré.

6. What is the I form of platicar in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) habremos platicado
  • (b) he platicado
  • (c) habría platicado
  • (d) platicaríamos

Answer: (b) he platicado. The I form in the present perfect is he platicado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con sus amigos.

  • (a) platiquen
  • (b) platiquemos
  • (c) platiques
  • (d) platique

Answer: (d) platique. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is platique.

8. What is the we form of platicar in the present tense?

  • (a) hemos platicado
  • (b) platica
  • (c) platicamos
  • (d) habíais platicado

Answer: (c) platicamos. The we form in the present is platicamos.

9. What is the I form of platicar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) ha platicado
  • (b) platiqué
  • (c) platicaba
  • (d) platica

Answer: (b) platiqué. The I form in the preterite is platiqué.

10. What is the they form of platicar in the present tense?

  • (a) platicáis
  • (b) platican
  • (c) platicamos
  • (d) platicaste

Answer: (b) platican. The they form in the present is platican.

Frequently asked questions about platicar

Is platicar regular?

Platicar is a spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb: platico, platicas, platica. See the full conjugation of platicar for every tense.

What is the past participle of platicar?

The past participle is platicado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he platicado. The gerund is platicando, used with estar: estoy platicando.

How do I say “I chat” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Toda la tarde, yo platiqué. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo platicaba de todo.

How can I practise platicar?

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.

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