Rellenar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

To stuff

Rellenar means to stuff. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo relleno el pollo — "I stuff the chicken"
  2. Él rellena los pimientos — "He stuffs the peppers"
  3. Yo rellené con arroz — "I stuffed with rice"
  4. Yo rellenaba el pollo — "I used to stuff the chicken"
  5. Yo rellenaré los pimientos — "I will stuff the peppers"
  6. Yo he rellenado con arroz — "I have stuffed with rice"

To fill

Rellenar means to fill. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él rellenó con arroz — "He stuffed with rice"
  2. Él rellenaba el pollo — "He used to stuff the chicken"
  3. Tú rellenarás los pimientos — "You will stuff the peppers"
  4. Yo rellenaría con arroz — "I would stuff with rice"
  5. Yo había rellenado el pollo — "I had stuffed the chicken"
  6. Nosotros rellenamos los pimientos — "We stuff the peppers"

Rellenar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú rellenas el pollo? — "Do you stuff the chicken?"
  • Sí, yo relleno el pollo cada día. — "Yes, I stuff the chicken every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú rellenaste los pimientos? — "And yesterday? Did you stuff the peppers?"
  • Sí, yo rellené los pimientos. — "Yes, I stuffed the peppers."
  • Mañana, yo rellenaré con arroz también. — "Tomorrow, I will stuff with rice too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros rellenáis el pollo? — "Do you stuff the chicken?"
  • Sí, nosotros rellenamos el pollo los fines de semana. — "Yes, We stuff the chicken at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos rellenan los pimientos? — "And them? Do they stuff the peppers?"
  • Sí, ellos rellenan los pimientos también. — "Yes, They stuff the peppers too."
  • Mañana nosotros rellenaremos los pimientos otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will stuff the peppers again."

Useful phrases with rellenar

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

  • Voy a rellenar el pollo. — "I am going to stuff the chicken."
  • Quiero rellenar los pimientos. — "I want to stuff the peppers."
  • Me gusta rellenar con arroz. — "I like to stuff with rice."
  • Acabo de rellenar el pollo. — "I have just stuffed the chicken."

Common mistakes with rellenar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos rellena el pollo.
  • Right: Ellos rellenan el pollo.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form rellenan. The singular rellena belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo rellené.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo relleno.
  • 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 rellenado los pimientos.
  • Right: Yo he rellenado los pimientos.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he rellenado, has rellenado, ha rellenado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él rellena el pollo.
  • Right: Espero que él rellene el pollo.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: rellene. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: rellenar in use

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

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

  • (a) habríamos rellenado
  • (b) rellenarais
  • (c) habré rellenado
  • (d) relleno

Answer: (d) relleno. The I form in the present is relleno.

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

  • (a) rellena
  • (b) había rellenado
  • (c) habría rellenado
  • (d) hemos rellenado

Answer: (a) rellena. The he / she form in the present is rellena.

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

  • (a) habríais rellenado
  • (b) rellenó
  • (c) rellenabais
  • (d) rellenáis

Answer: (b) rellenó. The he / she form in the preterite is rellenó.

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

  • (a) rellenaremos
  • (b) rellenaba
  • (c) rellena
  • (d) rellenes

Answer: (b) rellenaba. The I form in the imperfect is rellenaba.

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

  • (a) habíamos rellenado
  • (b) rellenaría
  • (c) rellenaré
  • (d) rellenad

Answer: (c) rellenaré. The I form in the future is rellenaré.

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

  • (a) rellenará
  • (b) habían rellenado
  • (c) rellena
  • (d) he rellenado

Answer: (d) he rellenado. The I form in the present perfect is he rellenado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el pollo.

  • (a) rellenes
  • (b) rellenemos
  • (c) rellenen
  • (d) rellene

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

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

  • (a) rellenarás
  • (b) habré rellenado
  • (c) rellenasteis
  • (d) rellenamos

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

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

  • (a) rellené
  • (b) habíais rellenado
  • (c) rellenará
  • (d) rellenara

Answer: (a) rellené. The I form in the preterite is rellené.

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

  • (a) habríais rellenado
  • (b) rellenaríamos
  • (c) rellenan
  • (d) habrá rellenado

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

Frequently asked questions about rellenar

Is rellenar regular?

Yes. Rellenar is a regular -ar verb: relleno, rellenas, rellena. See the full conjugation of rellenar for every tense.

What is the past participle of rellenar?

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

How do I say “I stuff” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo rellené los pimientos. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo rellenaba con arroz.

How can I practise rellenar?

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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