Introduction
Transformar means “to transform”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Transformar means to transform, and it covers transforming a room, a city, a person and a material: transformar la casa, transformar la ciudad. It takes en for what something becomes: transformar la casa en un hotel. It is a fully regular -ar verb. This page shows transformar 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: “Transformo la casa en un hotel.” — I transform the house into a hotel.
Transformar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how transformar 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 transformar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Transformo la casa en un hotel.” — I transform the house into a hotel.
“¿Transformas la ciudad con el metro?” — Do you transform the city with the metro?
“Transforma el garaje en un taller.” — He/she transforms the garage into a workshop.
“Nosotros transformamos su vida con el deporte.” — We transform his life with sport.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show transformar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo transformé la casa en un hotel.” — Yesterday, I transformed the house into a hotel. (preterite)
“Antes, él transformaba la ciudad con el metro.” — Before, he used to transform the city with the metro. (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 transformar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros transformaremos el garaje en un taller.” — Tomorrow, we will transform the garage into a workshop. (future)
“¿Tú has transformado su vida con el deporte?” — Have you transformed his life with sport? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros transformáis la casa en un hotel.” — You transform the house into a hotel.
“Ellos transforman la ciudad con el metro.” — They transform the city with the metro.
“Yo transformo el garaje en un taller.” — I transform the garage into a workshop.
“Mi padre transforma su vida con el deporte.” — My father transforms his life with sport.
Transformar 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 transformar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú transformas la ciudad con el metro?” — Do you transform the city with the metro?
Pedro: “Sí, yo transformo la casa en un hotel.” — Yes, I transform the house into a hotel.
Marta: “Nosotros transformamos su vida con el deporte.” — We transform his life with sport.
Pedro: “Y ellos transforman la ciudad con el metro.” — And they transform the city with the metro.
Marta: “Vosotros transformáis el garaje en un taller.” — You transform the garage into a workshop.
Pedro: “Sí, y él transforma la casa en un hotel.” — Yes, and he transforms the house into a hotel.
A short paragraph
Transforma la casa en un hotel, y nosotros transformamos su vida con el deporte. Yo transformo la ciudad con el metro, y ellos transforman el garaje en un taller. Transformar is part of everyday life, because transform is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with transformar
These are the errors learners actually make with transformar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo transforma la casa en un hotel.” Right: “Yo transformo la casa en un hotel.” Why: The person matters: transforma is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is transformo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo transformo la ciudad con el metro.” Right: “Ayer yo transformé la ciudad con el metro.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: transformo is happening now, while transformé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating transformar and transformarse as identical in every context.” Right: “Transformar means to transform, while transformarse means to transform oneself.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: transformar fits sentences such as Transformo la casa en un hotel, while transformarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy transformado la ciudad con el metro.” Right: “Yo he transformado la ciudad con el metro.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he transformado, has transformado, ha transformado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo transformé el garaje en un taller todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo transformaba el garaje en un taller todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (transformaba), not the preterite. The preterite (transformé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: transformar in use
Ten questions on transformar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ la casa en un hotel.” (You transform the house into a hotel.)
- (a) transformáis
- (b) transformo
- (c) transformas
Answer: transformáis — The vosotros/as form of transformar in the present tense is transformáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la ciudad con el metro.” (They transform the city with the metro.)
- (a) transformas
- (b) transforman
- (c) transformo
Answer: transforman — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of transformar in the present tense is transforman.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la casa en un hotel.” (Yesterday I transformed the house into a hotel.)
- (a) transformaste
- (b) transformó
- (c) transformé
Answer: transformé — In the preterite, the yo form of transformar is transformé.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ la ciudad con el metro.” (Before, he used to transform the city with the metro.)
- (a) transformaba
- (b) transformo
- (c) transformabas
Answer: transformaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of transformar is transformaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ el garaje en un taller.” (Tomorrow we will transform the garage into a workshop.)
- (a) transformarás
- (b) transformaremos
- (c) transformaré
Answer: transformaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of transformar is transformaremos.
6. What does transformar mean in English?
- (a) to transform
- (b) to sweat
- (c) to transform oneself
Answer: to transform — Transformar means “to transform”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo transforma la casa en un hotel.
- (b) Ellos transforma la ciudad con el metro.
- (c) Yo transformo la casa en un hotel.
Answer: Yo transformo la casa en un hotel. — “Yo transformo la casa en un hotel.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I transform the house into a hotel.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre transforma su vida con el deporte.
- (b) Transformo la casa en un hotel.
- (c) Transforman la casa en un hotel.
Answer: Transformo la casa en un hotel. — “Transformo la casa en un hotel.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of transformar in the present tense?
- (a) transformo
- (b) transformas
- (c) transformamos
Answer: transformamos — The nosotros form is transformamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros transformaremos el garaje en un taller.
- (b) Transformo la casa en un hotel.
- (c) Ayer, yo transformé la casa en un hotel.
Answer: Transformo la casa en un hotel. — “Transformo la casa en un hotel.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I transform the house into a hotel' in Spanish?
Say 'Transformo la casa en un hotel'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Transformo la casa en un hotel todos los días'.
How do you say 'He transforms the city with the metro' in Spanish?
Say 'Él transforma la ciudad con el metro'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes transforma.
What is the difference between transformar and transformarse?
Transformar means to transform, while transformarse means to transform oneself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use transformar when you mean to transform, as in 'Transformo la casa en un hotel', and use transformarse for to transform oneself.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of transformar — every tense of transformar in one place.
- Transformar 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 transformar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of transformar until they are automatic.