Introduction

reinar means “to reign”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to reign” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows reinar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “El rey reina en el país por la mañana.” — “The king reigns in the country.”

reinar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how reinar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “El rey reina en el país cada día.” — “The king reigns in the country.”
  2. “El rey reina en el país cada día.” — “The king reigns in the country.”
  3. “El rey reina en el país siempre.” — “The king reigns in the country.”
  4. “El rey reina en el país todos los días.” — “The king reigns in the country.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “El rey reinó en el país ayer.” — “The king reigned in the country.” (preterite) 6. “El rey reinó en el país ayer.” — “The king reigned in the country.” (preterite) 7. “El rey reinaba en el país cuando era joven.” — “The king used to reign in the country.” (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of {verb} stays the same. 8. “El rey reinará en el país mañana.” — “The king will reign in the country.” (future) 9. “El rey ha reinado en el país hoy.” — “The king has reigned in the country.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que el rey reine en el país.” — “I hope that the king reigns in the country.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “El rey reina en el país cada semana.” — “The king reigns in the country.” 12. “Los reyes reinan en el país normalmente.” — “The kings reigns in the country.”

reinar in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how reinar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue at home in the evening

Ana: “¿El rey reina en el país?” — The king reigns in the country?

Luis: “Sí, el rey reina en el país cada día.” — Yes, it reigns in the country every day.

Ana: “¿Y los reyes? ¿También reinan en el país?” — And the others? They reign in the country too?

Luis: “Sí, todos reinan en el país. Es normal.” — Yes, they all reign in the country. It is normal.

A short paragraph

El rey reina en el país cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how reinar works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo reino en el país — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make reinar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is reiné, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reine — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of reinar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For reinar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: reinamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he reinado en el país. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reinado is not the present perfect of reinar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reinar with reirse

reinar and reirse look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of reinar — reign — the sentence needs reinar; if it needs the meaning of reirse, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reine en el país. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reino — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reinar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of reinar in the present?

  • A. reinas
  • B. reina
  • C. reinamos
  • D. reino

2. What is the tu form of reinar in the preterite?

  • A. reinamos
  • B. reinaste
  • C. reiné
  • D. reinó

3. What is the el form of reinar in the imperfect?

  • A. reinabas
  • B. reinábamos
  • C. reinabais
  • D. reinaba

4. What is the nosotros form of reinar in the future?

  • A. reinará
  • B. reinaremos
  • C. reinaré
  • D. reinarás

5. What is the vosotros form of reinar in the present perfect?

  • A. he reinado
  • B. has reinado
  • C. ha reinado
  • D. habéis reinado

6. What is the ellos form of reinar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. reine
  • B. reinen
  • C. reine
  • D. reines

7. What is the yo form of reinar in the preterite?

  • A. reinaste
  • B. reinó
  • C. reinamos
  • D. reiné

8. What is the tu form of reinar in the imperfect?

  • A. reinábamos
  • B. reinabas
  • C. reinaba
  • D. reinaba

9. What is the el form of reinar in the future?

  • A. reinaré
  • B. reinarás
  • C. reinaremos
  • D. reinará

10. What is the nosotros form of reinar in the conditional?

  • A. reinaría
  • B. reinaríamos
  • C. reinaría
  • D. reinarías

Answer key

  1. reino — The present table gives yo = reino.
  2. reinaste — The preterite table gives tu = reinaste.
  3. reinaba — The imperfect table gives el = reinaba.
  4. reinaremos — The future table gives nosotros = reinaremos.
  5. habéis reinado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis reinado.
  6. reinen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = reinen.
  7. reiné — The preterite table gives yo = reiné.
  8. reinabas — The imperfect table gives tu = reinabas.
  9. reinará — The future table gives el = reinará.
  10. reinaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = reinaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use reinar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “El rey reina en el país.” — “The king reigns in the country.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of reinar to learn first?

Learn the present yo form reino first, then the preterite yo form reiné and the participle reinado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund reinando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is reinar reflexive?

No — reinar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo reino en el país. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of reinar?

On the main conjugation page for reinar, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links