Tostar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

Everyday use

Tostar means to toast. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo tuesto el pan — "I toast the bread"
  2. Él tuesta en la tostadora — "He toasts in the toaster"
  3. Yo tosté las almendras — "I toasted the almonds"
  4. Yo tostaba el pan — "I used to toast the bread"
  5. Yo tostaré en la tostadora — "I will toast in the toaster"
  6. Yo he tostado las almendras — "I have toasted the almonds"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él tostó las almendras — "He toasted the almonds"
  2. Él tostaba el pan — "He used to toast the bread"
  3. Tú tostarás en la tostadora — "You will toast in the toaster"
  4. Yo tostaría las almendras — "I would toast the almonds"
  5. Yo había tostado el pan — "I had toasted the bread"
  6. Nosotros tostamos en la tostadora — "We toast in the toaster"

Tostar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú tuestas el pan? — "Do you toast the bread?"
  • Sí, yo tuesto el pan cada día. — "Yes, I toast the bread every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú tostaste en la tostadora? — "And yesterday? Did you toast in the toaster?"
  • Sí, yo tosté en la tostadora. — "Yes, I toasted in the toaster."
  • Mañana, yo tostaré las almendras también. — "Tomorrow, I will toast the almonds too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros tostáis el pan? — "Do you toast the bread?"
  • Sí, nosotros tostamos el pan los fines de semana. — "Yes, We toast the bread at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos tuestan en la tostadora? — "And them? Do they toast in the toaster?"
  • Sí, ellos tuestan en la tostadora también. — "Yes, They toast in the toaster too."
  • Mañana nosotros tostaremos en la tostadora otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will toast in the toaster again."

Useful phrases with tostar

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

  • Voy a tostar el pan. — "I am going to toast the bread."
  • Quiero tostar en la tostadora. — "I want to toast in the toaster."
  • Me gusta tostar las almendras. — "I like to toast the almonds."
  • Acabo de tostar el pan. — "I have just toasted the bread."

Common mistakes with tostar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos tuesta el pan.
  • Right: Ellos tuestan el pan.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form tuestan. The singular tuesta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo tosté.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo tuesto.
  • 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: Tostar es lo mismo que gratinar.
  • Right: Tostar means to toast; gratinar means to gratinate.
  • Why: Tostar and gratinar describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

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

Quiz: tostar in use

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

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

  • (a) ha tostado
  • (b) tuesta
  • (c) tuesto
  • (d) tostéis

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

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

  • (a) tostáramos
  • (b) tuesta
  • (c) tostaba
  • (d) habrán tostado

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

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

  • (a) tostó
  • (b) tostábamos
  • (c) habrás tostado
  • (d) habría tostado

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

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

  • (a) tostaras
  • (b) tostaba
  • (c) habrás tostado
  • (d) habría tostado

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

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

  • (a) habéis tostado
  • (b) habíais tostado
  • (c) tostabas
  • (d) tostaré

Answer: (d) tostaré. The I form in the future is tostaré.

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

  • (a) habría tostado
  • (b) tostarías
  • (c) he tostado
  • (d) tostará

Answer: (c) he tostado. The I form in the present perfect is he tostado.

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

  • (a) tueste
  • (b) tostéis
  • (c) tuestes
  • (d) tostemos

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

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

  • (a) habríais tostado
  • (b) habría tostado
  • (c) tuestan
  • (d) tostamos

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

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

  • (a) habías tostado
  • (b) tostaríais
  • (c) tosté
  • (d) tostaremos

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

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

  • (a) tostaras
  • (b) tostarías
  • (c) tuestan
  • (d) tostáramos

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

Frequently asked questions about tostar

Is tostar regular?

Tostar is an irregular -ar, stem-changing (o → ue) verb: tuesto, tuestas, tuesta. See the full conjugation of tostar for every tense.

What is the difference between tostar and gratinar?

Tostar means to toast. Gratinar means to gratinate. Use tostar when you mean to toast, as in Yo tuesto el pan.

How do I say “I toast” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo tosté en la tostadora. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo tostaba las almendras.

How can I practise tostar?

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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