Podar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

Everyday use

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

  1. Yo podo los árboles — "I prune the trees"
  2. Él poda las rosas — "He prunes the roses"
  3. En invierno, yo podé — "In winter, I pruned"
  4. Yo podaba los árboles — "I used to prune the trees"
  5. Yo podaré las rosas — "I will prune the roses"
  6. En invierno, yo he podado — "In winter, I have pruned"

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. En invierno, él podó — "In winter, he pruned"
  2. Él podaba los árboles — "He used to prune the trees"
  3. Tú podarás las rosas — "You will prune the roses"
  4. En invierno, yo podaría — "In winter, I would prune"
  5. Yo había podado los árboles — "I had pruned the trees"
  6. Nosotros podamos las rosas — "We prune the roses"

Podar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú podas los árboles? — "Do you prune the trees?"
  • Sí, yo podo los árboles cada día. — "Yes, I prune the trees every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú podaste las rosas? — "And yesterday? Did you prune the roses?"
  • Sí, yo podé las rosas. — "Yes, I pruned the roses."
  • Mañana, en invierno, yo podaré también. — "Tomorrow, in winter, I will prune too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros podáis los árboles? — "Do you prune the trees?"
  • Sí, nosotros podamos los árboles los fines de semana. — "Yes, We prune the trees at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos podan las rosas? — "And them? Do they prune the roses?"
  • Sí, ellos podan las rosas también. — "Yes, They prune the roses too."
  • Mañana nosotros podaremos las rosas otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will prune the roses again."

Useful phrases with podar

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

  • Voy a podar los árboles. — "I am going to prune the trees."
  • Quiero podar las rosas. — "I want to prune the roses."
  • Me gusta podar en invierno. — "I like to prune in winter."
  • Acabo de podar los árboles. — "I have just pruned the trees."

Common mistakes with podar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos poda los árboles.
  • Right: Ellos podan los árboles.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form podan. The singular poda belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo podé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo podo.
  • 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 podado las rosas.
  • Right: Yo he podado las rosas.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he podado, has podado, ha podado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él poda los árboles.
  • Right: Espero que él pode los árboles.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: pode. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: podar in use

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

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

  • (a) podo
  • (b) habría podado
  • (c) podarías
  • (d) poda

Answer: (a) podo. The I form in the present is podo.

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

  • (a) habíais podado
  • (b) habría podado
  • (c) poda
  • (d) has podado

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

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

  • (a) podó
  • (b) podé
  • (c) podaban
  • (d) podara

Answer: (a) podó. The he / she form in the preterite is podó.

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

  • (a) podes
  • (b) podaste
  • (c) podara
  • (d) podaba

Answer: (d) podaba. The I form in the imperfect is podaba.

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

  • (a) podasteis
  • (b) podaré
  • (c) podáramos
  • (d) podabas

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

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

  • (a) he podado
  • (b) habréis podado
  • (c) podaste
  • (d) podarían

Answer: (a) he podado. The I form in the present perfect is he podado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los árboles.

  • (a) podes
  • (b) poden
  • (c) pode
  • (d) podéis

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

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

  • (a) podaste
  • (b) podabais
  • (c) podaba
  • (d) podamos

Answer: (d) podamos. The we form in the present is podamos.

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

  • (a) podad
  • (b) habéis podado
  • (c) podé
  • (d) pode

Answer: (c) podé. The I form in the preterite is podé.

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

  • (a) habéis podado
  • (b) han podado
  • (c) podan
  • (d) has podado

Answer: (c) podan. The they form in the present is podan.

Frequently asked questions about podar

Is podar regular?

Yes. Podar is a regular -ar verb: podo, podas, poda. See the full conjugation of podar for every tense.

What is the past participle of podar?

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

How do I say “I prune” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo podé las rosas. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: En invierno, yo podaba.

How can I practise podar?

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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