Traer Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
traer means "to bring" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows traer 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 traer, 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 traer
Bringing something to a place
Traer means to bring: traigo un regalo. It describes movement towards the speaker, and it is the opposite of llevar, which describes movement away.
- Cada día, yo traigo un regalo para mi madre. — "Every day, I bring a present for my mother."
- Hoy, él / ella trae las llaves de casa. — "Today, he / she brings the house keys."
- Ayer, yo traje café para todos. — "Yesterday, I brought coffee for everyone."
- Antes, yo traía buenas noticias del trabajo. — "Before, I used to bring good news from work."
- Mañana, yo traeré un regalo para mi madre. — "Tomorrow, I will bring a present for my mother."
- Hoy, yo he traído las llaves de casa. — "Today, I have brought the house keys."
Bringing news or information
Traer also works with news: traigo buenas noticias. In this use it means to carry information to someone, and it is a common sentence in offices and in families.
- Cada día, yo traigo café para todos. — "Every day, I bring coffee for everyone."
- Hoy, él / ella trae buenas noticias del trabajo. — "Today, he / she brings good news from work."
- Ayer, yo traje un regalo para mi madre. — "Yesterday, I brought a present for my mother."
- Antes, yo traía las llaves de casa. — "Before, I used to bring the house keys."
- Mañana, yo traeré café para todos. — "Tomorrow, I will bring coffee for everyone."
- Hoy, yo he traído buenas noticias del trabajo. — "Today, I have brought good news from work."
Traer in conversation
The two dialogues below show traer in natural conversation. The first is about bringing something to a place, and the second is about bringing news or information. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú traes un regalo para mi madre? — "Do you bring a present for my mother?"
- Sí, yo traigo un regalo para mi madre cada día. — "Yes, I bring a present for my mother every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú trajiste las llaves de casa? — "And yesterday? Did you bring the house keys?"
- Sí, ayer yo traje las llaves de casa. — "Yes, yesterday I brought the house keys."
- Mañana yo traeré café para todos también. — "Tomorrow I will bring coffee for everyone too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros traéis café para todos? — "Do you bring coffee for everyone?"
- Sí, nosotros traemos café para todos los fines de semana. — "Yes, we bring coffee for everyone at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos traen buenas noticias del trabajo? — "And them? Do they bring good news from work?"
- Sí, ellos traen buenas noticias del trabajo también. — "Yes, they bring good news from work too."
- Mañana nosotros traeremos café para todos otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will bring coffee for everyone again."
Common mistakes with traer in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ayer yo traí un regalo.
- Right: Ayer yo traje un regalo.
- Why: The preterite of traer is irregular: traje, trajiste, trajo. The regular-looking form traí does not exist.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Traje un regalo, pero no lo traje.
- Right: Traje un regalo para mi madre.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. Traer means you brought it, so do not add that you did not bring it.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Traer es lo mismo que llevar.
- Right: Traer means to bring towards the speaker; llevar means to take away.
- Why: Traigo un regalo a casa means I bring a present home. Llevo un regalo a casa means I take a present home from somewhere else. The direction is the difference.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo traje un regalo para mi madre.
- Right: Cada día, yo traigo un regalo para mi madre.
- Why: Cada día 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 5
- Wrong: Yo traigo un regalo para mi madre ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo traje un regalo para mi madre.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: traer in use
Ten questions on traer across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of traer in the present tense?
- (a) trae
- (b) traemos
- (c) traigo
- (d) traes
Answer: (c) traigo. The i form in the present is traigo.
2. What is the he / she form of traer in the present tense?
- (a) traemos
- (b) trae
- (c) traigo
- (d) traes
Answer: (b) trae. The he / she form in the present is trae.
3. What is the he / she form of traer in the preterite tense?
- (a) trajo
- (b) traje
- (c) trajiste
- (d) trajimos
Answer: (a) trajo. The he / she form in the preterite is trajo.
4. What is the i form of traer in the imperfect tense?
- (a) traigo
- (b) traje
- (c) traeré
- (d) traía
Answer: (d) traía. The i form in the imperfect is traía. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of traer in the future tense?
- (a) traerá
- (b) traeremos
- (c) traeré
- (d) traerás
Answer: (c) traeré. The i form in the future is traeré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) traje
- (b) traía
- (c) traigo
- (d) he traído
Answer: (d) he traído. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he traído.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un regalo para mi madre.
- (a) traía
- (b) traiga
- (c) trae
- (d) trajo
Answer: (b) traiga. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: traiga. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of traer in the present tense?
- (a) traigo
- (b) traes
- (c) trae
- (d) traemos
Answer: (d) traemos. The we form in the present is traemos.
9. What is the i form of traer in the preterite tense?
- (a) trajo
- (b) trajimos
- (c) traje
- (d) trajiste
Answer: (c) traje. The i form in the preterite is traje.
10. What is the they form of traer in the present tense?
- (a) trae
- (b) traen
- (c) traigo
- (d) traes
Answer: (b) traen. The they form in the present is traen.
Frequently asked questions about traer
Is the preterite of traer regular?
No. It uses the irregular stem traj-: traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron. The same stem appears in the imperfect subjunctive: trajera.
What is the gerund of traer?
Trayendo. The progressive is estar + gerund: estoy trayendo café. The past participle is traído: he traído un regalo.
What is the difference between traer and llevar?
Traer is movement towards the speaker: traigo un regalo aquí. Llevar is movement away: llevo un regalo allí. The speaker's position decides which verb to use.
How can I practise traer?
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.