Sembrar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

To sow

Sembrar means to sow. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo sembro tomates — "I sow tomatoes"
  2. Él sembra flores en el jardín — "He sows flowers in the garden"
  3. Yo sembré trigo en primavera — "I sowed wheat in spring"
  4. Yo sembraba tomates — "I used to sow tomatoes"
  5. Yo sembraré flores en el jardín — "I will sow flowers in the garden"
  6. Yo he sembrado trigo en primavera — "I have sown wheat in spring"

To plant

Sembrar means to plant. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él sembró trigo en primavera — "He sowed wheat in spring"
  2. Él sembraba tomates — "He used to sow tomatoes"
  3. Tú sembrarás flores en el jardín — "You will sow flowers in the garden"
  4. Yo sembraría trigo en primavera — "I would sow wheat in spring"
  5. Yo había sembrado tomates — "I had sown tomatoes"
  6. Nosotros sembramos flores en el jardín — "We sow flowers in the garden"

Sembrar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú sembras tomates? — "Do you sow tomatoes?"
  • Sí, yo sembro tomates cada día. — "Yes, I sow tomatoes every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú sembraste flores en el jardín? — "And yesterday? Did you sow flowers in the garden?"
  • Sí, yo sembré flores en el jardín. — "Yes, I sowed flowers in the garden."
  • Mañana, yo sembraré trigo en primavera también. — "Tomorrow, I will sow wheat in spring too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros sembráis tomates? — "Do you sow tomatoes?"
  • Sí, nosotros sembramos tomates los fines de semana. — "Yes, We sow tomatoes at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos sembran flores en el jardín? — "And them? Do they sow flowers in the garden?"
  • Sí, ellos sembran flores en el jardín también. — "Yes, They sow flowers in the garden too."
  • Mañana nosotros sembraremos flores en el jardín otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will sow flowers in the garden again."

Useful phrases with sembrar

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

  • Voy a sembrar tomates. — "I am going to sow tomatoes."
  • Quiero sembrar flores en el jardín. — "I want to sow flowers in the garden."
  • Me gusta sembrar trigo en primavera. — "I like to sow wheat in spring."
  • Acabo de sembrar tomates. — "I have just sown tomatoes."

Common mistakes with sembrar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos sembra tomates.
  • Right: Ellos sembran tomates.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form sembran. The singular sembra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo sembré.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo sembro.
  • 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: Sembrar es lo mismo que plantar.
  • Right: Sembrar means to sow; plantar means to plant.
  • Why: Sembrar and plantar describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él sembra tomates.
  • Right: Espero que él sembre tomates.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: sembre. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: sembrar in use

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

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

  • (a) sembre
  • (b) sembran
  • (c) sembro
  • (d) sembró

Answer: (c) sembro. The I form in the present is sembro.

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

  • (a) sembra
  • (b) sembraba
  • (c) habían sembrado
  • (d) habías sembrado

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

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

  • (a) habíais sembrado
  • (b) sembró
  • (c) habréis sembrado
  • (d) habrá sembrado

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

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

  • (a) sembran
  • (b) habíais sembrado
  • (c) han sembrado
  • (d) sembraba

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

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

  • (a) había sembrado
  • (b) sembraré
  • (c) habían sembrado
  • (d) habremos sembrado

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

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

  • (a) sembren
  • (b) he sembrado
  • (c) sembras
  • (d) sembraríais

Answer: (b) he sembrado. The I form in the present perfect is he sembrado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ tomates.

  • (a) sembréis
  • (b) sembres
  • (c) sembre
  • (d) sembren

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

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

  • (a) sembraría
  • (b) sembramos
  • (c) habría sembrado
  • (d) sembraba

Answer: (b) sembramos. The we form in the present is sembramos.

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

  • (a) sembrarían
  • (b) había sembrado
  • (c) sembré
  • (d) sembraste

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

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

  • (a) habíais sembrado
  • (b) sembremos
  • (c) sembran
  • (d) habrías sembrado

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

Frequently asked questions about sembrar

Is sembrar regular?

Yes. Sembrar is a regular -ar verb: sembro, sembras, sembra. See the full conjugation of sembrar for every tense.

What is the difference between sembrar and plantar?

Sembrar means to sow. Plantar means to plant. Use sembrar when you mean to sow, as in Yo sembro tomates.

How do I say “I sow” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo sembré flores en el jardín. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo sembraba trigo en primavera.

How can I practise sembrar?

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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