Robar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

To steal

Robar means to steal. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo robo una bicicleta — "I steal a bicycle"
  2. Él roba un banco — "He steals a bank"
  3. Yo robé la cartera — "I stole the wallet"
  4. Yo robaba una bicicleta — "I used to steal a bicycle"
  5. Yo robaré un banco — "I will steal a bank"
  6. Yo he robado la cartera — "I have stolen the wallet"

To rob

Robar means to rob. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él robó la cartera — "He stole the wallet"
  2. Él robaba una bicicleta — "He used to steal a bicycle"
  3. Tú robarás un banco — "You will steal a bank"
  4. Yo robaría la cartera — "I would steal the wallet"
  5. Yo había robado una bicicleta — "I had stolen a bicycle"
  6. Nosotros robamos un banco — "We steal a bank"

Robar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú robas una bicicleta? — "Do you steal a bicycle?"
  • Sí, yo robo una bicicleta cada día. — "Yes, I steal a bicycle every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú robaste un banco? — "And yesterday? Did you steal a bank?"
  • Sí, yo robé un banco. — "Yes, I stole a bank."
  • Mañana, yo robaré la cartera también. — "Tomorrow, I will steal the wallet too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros robáis una bicicleta? — "Do you steal a bicycle?"
  • Sí, nosotros robamos una bicicleta los fines de semana. — "Yes, We steal a bicycle at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos roban un banco? — "And them? Do they steal a bank?"
  • Sí, ellos roban un banco también. — "Yes, They steal a bank too."
  • Mañana nosotros robaremos un banco otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will steal a bank again."

Useful phrases with robar

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

  • Voy a robar una bicicleta. — "I am going to steal a bicycle."
  • Quiero robar un banco. — "I want to steal a bank."
  • Me gusta robar la cartera. — "I like to steal the wallet."
  • Acabo de robar una bicicleta. — "I have just stolen a bicycle."

Common mistakes with robar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos roba una bicicleta.
  • Right: Ellos roban una bicicleta.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form roban. The singular roba belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo robé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo robo.
  • 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 robado un banco.
  • Right: Yo he robado un banco.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he robado, has robado, ha robado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él roba una bicicleta.
  • Right: Espero que él robe una bicicleta.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: robe. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: robar in use

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

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

  • (a) robaré
  • (b) robo
  • (c) has robado
  • (d) robaréis

Answer: (b) robo. The I form in the present is robo.

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

  • (a) robaba
  • (b) roba
  • (c) habremos robado
  • (d) hemos robado

Answer: (b) roba. The he / she form in the present is roba.

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

  • (a) robó
  • (b) robara
  • (c) he robado
  • (d) robo

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

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

  • (a) habremos robado
  • (b) robaríamos
  • (c) habréis robado
  • (d) robaba

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

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

  • (a) robarais
  • (b) habríamos robado
  • (c) robaré
  • (d) habían robado

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

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

  • (a) robaríais
  • (b) robarán
  • (c) robad
  • (d) he robado

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

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una bicicleta.

  • (a) robéis
  • (b) robemos
  • (c) robes
  • (d) robe

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

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

  • (a) robarías
  • (b) robabas
  • (c) robamos
  • (d) robarás

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

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

  • (a) robad
  • (b) robaras
  • (c) robé
  • (d) robara

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

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

  • (a) roban
  • (b) robaban
  • (c) robaste
  • (d) habríais robado

Answer: (a) roban. The they form in the present is roban.

Frequently asked questions about robar

Is robar regular?

Yes. Robar is a regular -ar verb: robo, robas, roba. See the full conjugation of robar for every tense.

What is the past participle of robar?

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

How do I say “I steal” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo robé un banco. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo robaba la cartera.

How can I practise robar?

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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