Introduction
Transportar means “to transport”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Transportar means to transport or to carry, and it is used for moving goods, people and animals: transportar mercancías, transportar pasajeros. It is a fully regular -ar verb, common in logistics and travel. This page shows transportar 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: “Transporto mercancías por carretera.” — I transport goods by road.
Transportar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how transportar 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 transportar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Transporto mercancías por carretera.” — I transport goods by road.
“¿Transportas pasajeros al aeropuerto?” — Do you transport passengers to the airport?
“Transporta muebles en el camión.” — He/she transports furniture in the lorry.
“Nosotros transportamos animales al veterinario.” — We transport animals to the vet.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show transportar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo transporté mercancías por carretera.” — Yesterday, I transported goods by road. (preterite)
“Antes, él transportaba pasajeros al aeropuerto.” — Before, he used to transport passengers to the airport. (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 transportar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros transportaremos muebles en el camión.” — Tomorrow, we will transport furniture in the lorry. (future)
“¿Tú has transportado animales al veterinario?” — Have you transported animals to the vet? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros transportáis mercancías por carretera.” — You transport goods by road.
“Ellos transportan pasajeros al aeropuerto.” — They transport passengers to the airport.
“Yo transporto muebles en el camión.” — I transport furniture in the lorry.
“Mi padre transporta animales al veterinario.” — My father transports animals to the vet.
Transportar 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 transportar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú transportas pasajeros al aeropuerto?” — Do you transport passengers to the airport?
Pedro: “Sí, yo transporto mercancías por carretera.” — Yes, I transport goods by road.
Marta: “Nosotros transportamos animales al veterinario.” — We transport animals to the vet.
Pedro: “Y ellos transportan pasajeros al aeropuerto.” — And they transport passengers to the airport.
Marta: “Vosotros transportáis muebles en el camión.” — You transport furniture in the lorry.
Pedro: “Sí, y él transporta mercancías por carretera.” — Yes, and he transports goods by road.
A short paragraph
Transporta mercancías por carretera, y nosotros transportamos animales al veterinario. Yo transporto pasajeros al aeropuerto, y ellos transportan muebles en el camión. Transportar is part of everyday life, because transport is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with transportar
These are the errors learners actually make with transportar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo transporta mercancías por carretera.” Right: “Yo transporto mercancías por carretera.” Why: The person matters: transporta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is transporto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo transporto pasajeros al aeropuerto.” Right: “Ayer yo transporté pasajeros al aeropuerto.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: transporto is happening now, while transporté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating transportar and llevar as identical in every context.” Right: “Transportar means to transport, while llevar means to carry, to take.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: transportar fits sentences such as Transporto mercancías por carretera, while llevar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy transportado pasajeros al aeropuerto.” Right: “Yo he transportado pasajeros al aeropuerto.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he transportado, has transportado, ha transportado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo transporté muebles en el camión todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo transportaba muebles en el camión todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (transportaba), not the preterite. The preterite (transporté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: transportar in use
Ten questions on transportar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ mercancías por carretera.” (You transport goods by road.)
- (a) transportáis
- (b) transporto
- (c) transportas
Answer: transportáis — The vosotros/as form of transportar in the present tense is transportáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ pasajeros al aeropuerto.” (They transport passengers to the airport.)
- (a) transportas
- (b) transportan
- (c) transporto
Answer: transportan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of transportar in the present tense is transportan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ mercancías por carretera.” (Yesterday I transported goods by road.)
- (a) transportaste
- (b) transportó
- (c) transporté
Answer: transporté — In the preterite, the yo form of transportar is transporté.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ pasajeros al aeropuerto.” (Before, he used to transport passengers to the airport.)
- (a) transportaba
- (b) transporto
- (c) transportabas
Answer: transportaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of transportar is transportaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ muebles en el camión.” (Tomorrow we will transport furniture in the lorry.)
- (a) transportarás
- (b) transportaremos
- (c) transportaré
Answer: transportaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of transportar is transportaremos.
6. What does transportar mean in English?
- (a) to transport
- (b) to stay up late
- (c) to carry, to take
Answer: to transport — Transportar means “to transport”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo transporta mercancías por carretera.
- (b) Ellos transporta pasajeros al aeropuerto.
- (c) Yo transporto mercancías por carretera.
Answer: Yo transporto mercancías por carretera. — “Yo transporto mercancías por carretera.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I transport goods by road.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre transporta animales al veterinario.
- (b) Transporto mercancías por carretera.
- (c) Transportan mercancías por carretera.
Answer: Transporto mercancías por carretera. — “Transporto mercancías por carretera.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of transportar in the present tense?
- (a) transporto
- (b) transportas
- (c) transportamos
Answer: transportamos — The nosotros form is transportamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros transportaremos muebles en el camión.
- (b) Transporto mercancías por carretera.
- (c) Ayer, yo transporté mercancías por carretera.
Answer: Transporto mercancías por carretera. — “Transporto mercancías por carretera.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I transport goods by road' in Spanish?
Say 'Transporto mercancías por carretera'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Transporto mercancías por carretera todos los días'.
How do you say 'He transports passengers to the airport' in Spanish?
Say 'Él transporta pasajeros al aeropuerto'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes transporta.
What is the difference between transportar and llevar?
Transportar means to transport, while llevar means to carry, to take. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use transportar when you mean to transport, as in 'Transporto mercancías por carretera', and use llevar for to carry, to take.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of transportar — every tense of transportar in one place.
- Transportar 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 transportar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of transportar until they are automatic.