The Present Tense of Merendar is used to describe the action of having an afternoon snack or light meal. For example, Yo meriendo una manzana a las cuatro de la tarde. (I have an apple for an afternoon snack at 4 pm.)

This verb follows the e to ie stem-changing pattern in the present tense. The vowel e in the verb stem changes to ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Merendar (to have a snack) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Merendar generally means to have an afternoon snack or light meal, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To eat a light meal or snack in the late afternoon, for example, Yo meriendo una manzana y un yogur. (I have an apple and a yogurt for an afternoon snack.)

Figurative meaning: To take advantage of or exploit someone, for example, Ese político se merienda a la gente con sus mentiras. (That politician takes advantage of people with his lies.)

Slang meaning: To defeat or beat someone decisively, for example, El equipo local se merienda al visitante. (The home team beats the visiting team decisively.)

Vulgar meaning: To perform oral sex on someone (rude), for example, ¿Quieres que te meriende? (Do you want me to go down on you?)

Examples

Examples of Merendar in the Present Tense

Cada tarde, mis amigos y yo merendamos juntos después de la escuela. (Every afternoon, my friends and I have a snack together after school.)

¿A qué hora meriendas normalmente? (What time do you usually have a snack?)

Mi abuela merienda a las cinco en punto todos los días. (My grandmother has her snack at five o’clock every day.)

Los niños meriendan galletas y leche después de jugar afuera. (The children have cookies and milk for a snack after playing outside.)

Yo meriendo fruta y yogur como un tentempié saludable. (I have fruit and yogurt as a healthy snack.)

En la oficina, muchos compañeros meriendan en su escritorio mientras trabajan. (At the office, many coworkers have a snack at their desk while working.)

Cuando estoy de viaje, meriendo lo que encuentro en las tiendas locales. (When I’m traveling, I have a snack with whatever I find in local shops.)

Los atletas meriendan barras de proteína para mantenerse energizados durante el entrenamiento. (Athletes have protein bars as a snack to stay energized during training.)

En la cultura latina, es común merendar con amigos y familiares en las tardes. (In Latin culture, it’s common to have a snack with friends and family in the afternoons.)

Después de la escuela, los niños meriendan mientras hacen la tarea. (After school, children have a snack while doing homework.)

En algunas regiones, merendar puede referirse a una comida más sustancial en lugar de un tentempié ligero. (In some regions, “merendar” can refer to a more substantial meal instead of a light snack.)

Cuando estoy ocupado, a veces meriendo mientras camino o conduzco. (When I’m busy, I sometimes have a snack while walking or driving.)

Los padres a menudo meriendan con sus hijos después de recogerlos de la escuela. (Parents often have a snack with their children after picking them up from school.)

En algunas culturas, merendar es una tradición social importante que reúne a familias y amigos. (In some cultures, having a snack is an important social tradition that brings families and friends together.)

Cuando estoy de mal humor, meriendo algo dulce para animarme. (When I’m in a bad mood, I have something sweet as a snack to cheer me up.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Merendar (to have a snack) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.