Rallar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb rallar means to grate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Rallar means to grate, and it is used for grating cheese, carrots and lemon peel in cooking. It is fully regular, and it appears in kitchen contexts, usually with el queso or la zanahoria. Like every Spanish verb, rallar 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 rallo el queso para la pasta, and in the preterite you say rallé el limón para el pastel. 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: rallar
  • English: to grate
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: rallando
  • Past participle: rallado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + rallado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for rallar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Rallar is fully regular: rallé, rallaba, rallaré. Rallar el queso is to grate the cheese.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for rallar. 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 rallo
tú rallas
él/ella/Ud. ralla
nosotros/as rallamos
vosotros/as ralláis
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallan

Preterite

Person Form
yo rallé
tú rallaste
él/ella/Ud. ralló
nosotros/as rallamos
vosotros/as rallasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo rallaba
tú rallabas
él/ella/Ud. rallaba
nosotros/as rallábamos
vosotros/as rallabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallaban

Future

Person Form
yo rallaré
tú rallarás
él/ella/Ud. rallará
nosotros/as rallaremos
vosotros/as rallaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo rallaría
tú rallarías
él/ella/Ud. rallaría
nosotros/as rallaríamos
vosotros/as rallaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he rallado
tú has rallado
él/ella/Ud. ha rallado
nosotros/as hemos rallado
vosotros/as habéis rallado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han rallado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había rallado
tú habías rallado
él/ella/Ud. había rallado
nosotros/as habíamos rallado
vosotros/as habíais rallado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían rallado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré rallado
tú habrás rallado
él/ella/Ud. habrá rallado
nosotros/as habremos rallado
vosotros/as habréis rallado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán rallado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría rallado
tú habrías rallado
él/ella/Ud. habría rallado
nosotros/as habríamos rallado
vosotros/as habríais rallado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían rallado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo ralle
tú ralles
él/ella/Ud. ralle
nosotros/as rallemos
vosotros/as ralléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo rallara
tú rallaras
él/ella/Ud. rallara
nosotros/as ralláramos
vosotros/as rallarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú ralla
él/ella/Ud. ralle
nosotros/as rallemos
vosotros/as rallad
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú ralles
él/ella/Ud. ralle
nosotros/as rallemos
vosotros/as ralléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. rallen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund rallando with estar for the progressive: estoy rallando
Past participle rallado with haber for the perfect tenses: he rallado

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 rallar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Rallo el queso para la pasta. 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 rallar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, rallé la zanahoria en la ensalada. 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 rallar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, rallaba el limón para el pastel. 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 rallar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, rallaré el pan para las migas. 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 rallar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Rallaría el queso para la pasta 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 rallar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he rallado la zanahoria en la ensalada. 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 rallar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había rallado el limón para el pastel 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 rallar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré rallado el pan para las migas. 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 rallar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría rallado el queso para la pasta 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 rallar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ralle la zanahoria en la ensalada. 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 rallar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él rallara el limón para el pastel, 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 rallar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ralla el pan para las migas! 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 rallar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ralles el queso para la pasta. 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 rallar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Rallo el queso para la pasta. — I grate the cheese for the pasta.
  2. Ralla la zanahoria en la ensalada. — He/she grates the carrot in the salad.
  3. Ayer, rallé el limón para el pastel. — Yesterday, I grated the lemon for the cake.
  4. Antes, nosotros rallábamos el pan para las migas. — Before, we used to grate the bread for the breadcrumbs.
  5. Mañana, tú rallarás el queso para la pasta. — Tomorrow, you will grate the cheese for the pasta.
  6. Yo rallaría la zanahoria en la ensalada si tuviera más tiempo. — I would grate the carrot in the salad if I had more time.
  7. Él ha rallado el limón para el pastel. — He has grated the lemon for the cake.
  8. Espero que él ralle el pan para las migas. — I hope he grates the bread for the breadcrumbs.
  9. Yo ya había rallado el queso para la pasta antes de salir. — I had already grated the cheese for the pasta before leaving.
  10. Ellos rallaban la zanahoria en la ensalada cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to grate the carrot in the salad when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo ralla el queso para la pasta. — Right: Yo rallo el queso para la pasta. — The person matters: ralla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is rallo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo rallo la zanahoria en la ensalada. — Right: Ayer yo rallé la zanahoria en la ensalada. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: rallo is happening now, while rallé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating rallar and cortar as identical in every context. — Right: Rallar means to grate, while cortar means to cut. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: rallar fits sentences such as Rallo el queso para la pasta, while cortar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy rallado la zanahoria en la ensalada. — Right: Yo he rallado la zanahoria en la ensalada. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he rallado, has rallado, ha rallado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo rallé el limón para el pastel todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo rallaba el limón para el pastel todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (rallaba), not the preterite. The preterite (rallé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on rallar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el queso para la pasta. (present tense) A. rallo B. rallas C. ralla D. rallamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la zanahoria en la ensalada. (preterite) A. rallé B. rallaste C. rallaron D. ralló

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el limón para el pastel. (imperfect) A. rallabas B. rallaban C. rallábamos D. rallaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el pan para las migas. (future) A. rallaremos B. rallarás C. rallaré D. rallará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el queso para la pasta si pudiera. (conditional) A. rallaría B. rallarías C. rallarían D. rallo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la zanahoria en la ensalada. (present subjunctive) A. ralles B. rallemos C. rallo D. ralle

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el limón para el pastel, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ralláramos B. rallo C. rallara D. rallaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pan para las migas. (present perfect) A. han rallado B. hemos rallado C. he rallado D. has rallado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el queso para la pasta! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ralla B. ralle C. rallemos D. rallad

  10. Which is the gerund of rallar, used with estar for the progressive? A. rallado B. rallo C. rallé D. rallando

Answer key

  1. rallo — The first-person present of rallar is rallo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. ralló — The third-person preterite of rallar is ralló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. rallábamos — The nosotros imperfect of rallar is rallábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. rallarás — The second-person future of rallar is rallarás.
  5. rallaría — The first-person conditional of rallar is rallaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. ralle — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of rallar is ralle.
  7. rallara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of rallar is rallara.
  8. hemos rallado — The nosotros present perfect of rallar is hemos rallado: hemos + rallado.
  9. ralla — The affirmative tú imperative of rallar is ralla.
  10. rallando — The gerund of rallar is rallando: estoy rallando. The participle rallado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does rallar mean in English?

Rallar means to grate. It is used in everyday situations such as Rallo el queso para la pasta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is rallar regular or irregular?

Rallar 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 rallo in the present and rallé in the preterite.

What is the difference between rallar and cortar?

Rallar means to grate, while cortar means to cut. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use rallar when you mean to grate, as in Rallo el queso para la pasta, and use cortar for to cut. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I grate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo rallé la zanahoria en la ensalada. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo rallaba el limón para el pastel. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he rallado la zanahoria en la ensalada.

How do I practise rallar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the rallar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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