Introduction
Sobrar means “to be left over, to be too much”, and it is the verb you reach for when the thing itself is the subject — what is left over, what arises, what passes. Sobrar means to be left over or to be too much, and it is used for food, money, time and people: sobra comida, sobran tres sillas. The subject is the thing left over, so the verb usually appears in the third person, singular or plural. It is a fully regular -ar verb. This page shows sobrar 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 present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
Sobrar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how sobrar 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 sobrar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
“Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
“Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
“Sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show sobrar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, sobró comida después de la cena.” — Yesterday, there was food left over after dinner. (preterite)
“Antes, sobraban tres sillas en el salón.” — Before, there used to be three chairs left over in the living room. (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 sobrar stays the same.
“Mañana, sobrará tiempo antes de salir.” — Tomorrow, there will be time left over before leaving. (future)
“Ya ha sobrado dinero a fin de mes.” — Already, there has been money left over at the end of the month. (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
“Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
“Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
“Sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
Sobrar 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 sobrar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Sobran tres sillas en el salón?” — Are there three chairs left over in the living room?
Pedro: “Sí, sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
Marta: “¿Sobra tiempo antes de salir?” — Is there time left over before leaving?
Pedro: “Sí, sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
Marta: “¿Sobra comida después de la cena?” — Is there food left over after dinner?
Pedro: “Sí, sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
A short paragraph
Sobra comida después de la cena, y sobra dinero a fin de mes. Sobran tres sillas en el salón, y sobra tiempo antes de salir. Sobrar is the verb for what is left over, because after every meal, every meeting and every month, something remains.
Common mistakes with sobrar
These are the errors learners actually make with sobrar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo sobro comida después de la cena.” Right: “Sobra comida después de la cena.” Why: With sobrar, the thing is the subject, not the person: sobra is the form that agrees with comida después de la cena, and a person cannot be the subject of this verb in this sense.
Wrong: “Ayer, sobran tres sillas en el salón.” Right: “Ayer, sobraron tres sillas en el salón.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: sobran is happening now, while sobraron is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating sobrar and faltar as identical in every context.” Right: “Sobrar means to be left over, to be too much, while faltar means to be missing, its opposite.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sobrar fits sentences such as Sobra comida después de la cena, while faltar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Son sobrado tres sillas en el salón.” Right: “Han sobrado tres sillas en el salón.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: han sobrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, sobró tiempo antes de salir todos los días.” Right: “De niño, sobraba tiempo antes de salir todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sobraba), not the preterite. The preterite (sobró) is for one finished action.
Quiz: sobrar in use
Ten questions on sobrar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “___ comida después de la cena.” (There is food left over after dinner.)
- (a) sobro
- (b) sobras
- (c) sobra
Answer: sobra — The él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar in the present tense is sobra.
2. Complete the sentence: “___ tres sillas en el salón.” (There are three chairs left over in the living room.)
- (a) sobras
- (b) sobran
- (c) sobro
Answer: sobran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sobrar in the present tense is sobran.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer, ___ comida después de la cena.” (There was food left over after dinner.)
- (a) sobró
- (b) sobré
- (c) sobraste
Answer: sobró — In the preterite, the él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar is sobró.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, ___ tres sillas en el salón.” (There used to be three chairs left over in the living room.)
- (a) sobraba
- (b) sobrabas
- (c) sobraban
Answer: sobraban — In the imperfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sobrar is sobraban.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, ___ tiempo antes de salir.” (There will be time left over before leaving.)
- (a) sobrarás
- (b) sobrará
- (c) sobraré
Answer: sobrará — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar is sobrará.
6. What does sobrar mean in English?
- (a) to be left over, to be too much
- (b) to exceed, to overtake
- (c) to be missing, its opposite
Answer: to be left over, to be too much — Sobrar means “to be left over, to be too much”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo sobro comida después de la cena.
- (b) Sobra tres sillas en el salón.
- (c) Sobra comida después de la cena.
Answer: Sobra comida después de la cena. — “Sobra comida después de la cena.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “There is food left over after dinner.” in Spanish?
- (a) Sobra dinero a fin de mes.
- (b) Sobra comida después de la cena.
- (c) Sobro comida después de la cena.
Answer: Sobra comida después de la cena. — “Sobra comida después de la cena.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sobrar in the present tense?
- (a) sobran
- (b) sobro
- (c) sobras
Answer: sobran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form is sobran.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, sobrará comida después de la cena.
- (b) Sobra comida después de la cena.
- (c) Ayer, sobró comida después de la cena.
Answer: Sobra comida después de la cena. — “Sobra comida después de la cena.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'There is food left over after dinner.' in Spanish?
Say 'Sobra comida después de la cena'. The thing comes first as the subject, and the verb agrees with it.
How do you say 'There are three chairs left over in the living room.' in Spanish?
Say 'Sobran tres sillas en el salón'. The subject is the thing itself, so the verb takes the ellos/ellas/Uds. form: sobran.
What is the difference between sobrar and faltar?
Sobrar means to be left over, to be too much, while faltar means to be missing, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sobrar when you mean to be left over, to be too much, as in 'Sobra comida después de la cena', and use faltar for to be missing, its opposite.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sobrar — every tense of sobrar in one place.
- Sobrar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on sobrar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of sobrar until they are automatic.