Untar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

untar means "to spread (butter)" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows untar 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 untar, 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 untar

Everyday use

Untar means to spread (butter). The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo unto mantequilla en el pan — "I spread butter on the bread"
  2. Él unta el pan con mantequilla — "He spreads the bread with butter"
  3. Yo unté queso en la tostada — "I spread cheese on the toast"
  4. Yo untaba mantequilla en el pan — "I used to spread butter on the bread"
  5. Yo untaré el pan con mantequilla — "I will spread the bread with butter"
  6. Yo he untado queso en la tostada — "I have spread cheese on the toast"

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 untó queso en la tostada — "He spread cheese on the toast"
  2. Él untaba mantequilla en el pan — "He used to spread butter on the bread"
  3. Tú untarás el pan con mantequilla — "You will spread the bread with butter"
  4. Yo untaría queso en la tostada — "I would spread cheese on the toast"
  5. Yo había untado mantequilla en el pan — "I had spread butter on the bread"
  6. Nosotros untamos el pan con mantequilla — "We spread the bread with butter"

Untar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú untas mantequilla en el pan? — "Do you spread butter on the bread?"
  • Sí, yo unto mantequilla en el pan cada día. — "Yes, I spread butter on the bread every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú untaste el pan con mantequilla? — "And yesterday? Did you spread the bread with butter?"
  • Sí, yo unté el pan con mantequilla. — "Yes, I spread the bread with butter."
  • Mañana, yo untaré queso en la tostada también. — "Tomorrow, I will spread cheese on the toast too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros untáis mantequilla en el pan? — "Do you spread butter on the bread?"
  • Sí, nosotros untamos mantequilla en el pan los fines de semana. — "Yes, We spread butter on the bread at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos untan el pan con mantequilla? — "And them? Do they spread the bread with butter?"
  • Sí, ellos untan el pan con mantequilla también. — "Yes, They spread the bread with butter too."
  • Mañana nosotros untaremos el pan con mantequilla otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will spread the bread with butter again."

Useful phrases with untar

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

  • Voy a untar mantequilla en el pan. — "I am going to spread butter on the bread."
  • Quiero untar el pan con mantequilla. — "I want to spread the bread with butter."
  • Me gusta untar queso en la tostada. — "I like to spread cheese on the toast."
  • Acabo de untar mantequilla en el pan. — "I have just spread butter on the bread."

Common mistakes with untar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos unta mantequilla en el pan.
  • Right: Ellos untan mantequilla en el pan.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form untan. The singular unta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo unté.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo unto.
  • 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: Yo soy untado el pan con mantequilla.
  • Right: Yo he untado el pan con mantequilla.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he untado, has untado, ha untado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

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

Quiz: untar in use

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

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

  • (a) unto
  • (b) untará
  • (c) habían untado
  • (d) untabas

Answer: (a) unto. The I form in the present is unto.

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

  • (a) unta
  • (b) habría untado
  • (c) untaste
  • (d) untemos

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

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

  • (a) untéis
  • (b) untó
  • (c) habremos untado
  • (d) había untado

Answer: (b) untó. The he / she form in the preterite is untó.

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

  • (a) han untado
  • (b) unte
  • (c) untaremos
  • (d) untaba

Answer: (d) untaba. The I form in the imperfect is untaba.

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

  • (a) untarías
  • (b) untaremos
  • (c) habían untado
  • (d) untaré

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

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

  • (a) unta
  • (b) untaste
  • (c) untáramos
  • (d) he untado

Answer: (d) he untado. The I form in the present perfect is he untado.

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

  • (a) unten
  • (b) unte
  • (c) untes
  • (d) untéis

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

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

  • (a) unte
  • (b) untábamos
  • (c) untaría
  • (d) untamos

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

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

  • (a) habrías untado
  • (b) untabas
  • (c) untad
  • (d) unté

Answer: (d) unté. The I form in the preterite is unté.

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

  • (a) untan
  • (b) untaremos
  • (c) untaríais
  • (d) untas

Answer: (a) untan. The they form in the present is untan.

Frequently asked questions about untar

Is untar regular?

Yes. Untar is a regular -ar verb: unto, untas, unta. See the full conjugation of untar for every tense.

What is the past participle of untar?

The past participle is untado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he untado. The gerund is untando, used with estar: estoy untando.

How do I say “I spread” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo unté el pan con mantequilla. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo untaba queso en la tostada.

How can I practise untar?

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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