Variar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

variar means "to vary" in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Variar means to vary or to change: variar el menú, variar de opinión. It is used for menus, prices, weather and opinions that change from time to time. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of variar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the variar present tense page.

variar in everyday use: examples with translations

Everyday present uses

How the verb sounds in the present, the future and in hypotheticals — the forms you will use most often.

  1. Yo varío el menú cada semana — "I vary the menu every week"
  2. Mi amigo varía de opinión según el día — "My friend varies his opinion depending on the day"
  3. Mañana, tú variarás los precios en invierno — "Tomorrow, you will vary prices in winter"
  4. Yo variaría el clima de un día a otro si pudiera — "I would vary the weather from one day to the next if I could"

Talking about the past

The same verb in the past: one finished action, a habit, something that has just happened, and something that had already happened.

  1. Ayer, yo varié el menú cada semana — "Yesterday, I varied the menu every week"
  2. Antes, nosotros variábamos de opinión según el día — "Before, we used to vary his opinion depending on the day"
  3. Él ha variado los precios en invierno — "He has varied prices in winter"
  4. Yo ya había variado el clima de un día a otro antes de salir — "I already had varied the weather from one day to the next before leaving"

Wishes, conditions and commands

The verb after espero que, in si clauses, as a command — and in the conditional perfect, for what would have happened.

  1. Espero que él varíe el menú cada semana — "I hope he varies the menu every week"
  2. Si yo variara de opinión según el día, todo cambiaría — "If I varied his opinion depending on the day, everything would change"
  3. Varía los precios en invierno. — "Vary prices in winter."
  4. Yo habría variado el clima de un día a otro con más tiempo — "I would have varied the weather from one day to the next with more time"

variar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use variar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about it.

  • Lucía: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Lucía: Yo varío el menú cada semana — "I vary the menu every week"
  • Marcos: Él varía de opinión según el día — "He varies his opinion depending on the day"
  • Lucía: Ayer, yo varié los precios en invierno — "Yesterday, I varied prices in winter"
  • Marcos: Mañana, tú variarás el clima de un día a otro — "Tomorrow, you will vary the weather from one day to the next"

A practical exchange.

  • Marcos: Hola, ¿qué tal? — "Hello, how are you?"
  • Marcos: Varía la ruta para no aburrirse. — "Vary the route to avoid boredom."
  • Lucía: Él ha variado el menú cada semana — "He has varied the menu every week"
  • Marcos: Espero que él varíe de opinión según el día — "I hope he varies his opinion depending on the day"
  • Lucía: Antes, yo variaba los precios en invierno — "Before, I used to vary prices in winter"

Common mistakes with variar

The errors learners actually make with variar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ *Espero que él varía el clima de un día a otro

✓ Correct: Espero que él varíe el clima de un día a otro

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él varíe el clima de un día a otro — not the indicative Espero que él varía el clima de un día a otro.

✗ *Ayer, yo varío la ruta para no aburrirse

✓ Correct: Ayer, yo varié la ruta para no aburrirse

Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo varié la ruta para no aburrirse.

✗ *De niño, yo varié el menú cada semana todos los días

✓ Correct: De niño, yo variaba el menú cada semana todos los días

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo variaba el menú cada semana todos los días.

✗ *Yo varío en los precios en invierno.

✓ Correct: Yo varío los precios en invierno.

variar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo varío los precios en invierno.

✗ *Vosotros variais de opinión según el día.

✓ Correct: Vosotros variáis de opinión según el día.

The vosotros present form carries a written accent: variáis, not variais.

Quiz: variar in use

Ten questions on variar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el menú cada semana — "I vary the menu every week" (present) A. varía B. variamos C. varío D. varías

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ de opinión según el día — "Yesterday, I varied his opinion depending on the day" (preterite) A. varié B. variaste C. varió D. variamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ______ los precios en invierno — "Before, we used to vary prices in winter" (imperfect) A. variábamos B. variaba C. variabas D. variabais

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ______ el clima de un día a otro — "Tomorrow, you will vary the weather from one day to the next" (future) A. variará B. variaremos C. variarás D. variaré

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la ruta para no aburrirse — "I would vary the route to avoid boredom" (conditional) A. variarías B. variaríamos C. variaríais D. variaría

  6. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el menú cada semana — "He has varied the menu every week" (present perfect) A. he variado B. has variado C. hemos variado D. ha variado

  7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ de opinión según el día — "I hope he varies his opinion depending on the day" (present subjunctive) A. variemos B. variéis C. varíe D. varíes

  8. Complete the sentence: ______ los precios en invierno. — "Vary prices in winter." (affirmative imperative) A. varía B. varíe C. variemos D. variad

  9. Which is the gerund of variar, used with estar for the progressive? A. varié B. variando C. variado D. varío

  10. What does variar mean in English? A. to change B. to enjoy C. to cross D. to vary

Answer key

  1. varío — The present form for yo is varío.
  2. varié — The preterite form for yo is varié.
  3. variábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is variábamos.
  4. variarás — The future form for tú is variarás.
  5. variaría — The conditional form for yo is variaría.
  6. ha variado — The present perfect form for él/ella/Ud. is ha variado.
  7. varíe — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is varíe.
  8. varía — The affirmative imperative form is varía.
  9. variando — The gerund of variar is variando: estoy variando. The participle variado is used with haber instead.
  10. to vary — variar means to vary.

Frequently asked questions

What does variar mean in English?

variar means to vary. For example: Yo varío el menú cada semana — "I vary the menu every week". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

What preposition goes with variar?

variar takes its complement directly, with no preposition, as in the examples above. Adding an extra preposition is a common learner error.

Is variar regular?

Yes. variar is a regular -ar verb, so once you know the endings for its class you can conjugate it in every tense.

How do I practise variar?

Start with the present tense table on the full conjugation page, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure, and come back to the sentences above until you can say them without looking.

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