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. (I have an apple for an afternoon snack at four o’clock.)

This verb follows the e to ie stem-changing conjugation pattern, where the stem vowel changes from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Merendar (to have a snack) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian 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 have a light meal or snack in the late afternoon, for example, Yo meriendo un sándwich y una manzana. (I have a sandwich and an apple for an afternoon snack.)

Figurative meaning: To take advantage of someone or a situation in an unethical way, for example, Ese político se merienda los fondos públicos. (That politician takes advantage of public funds.)

Slang meaning: To defeat or dominate someone easily, for example, En el partido, nuestro equipo se merienda al otro. (In the game, our team easily defeats the other one.)

Rude meaning: To insult or verbally attack someone, for example, ¡No me meriendes con tus comentarios ofensivos! (Don’t insult me with your offensive comments!)

Examples

Examples of Merendar in the Present Tense

Todos los días meriendo a las 5 de la tarde. (Every day I have a snack at 5 in the afternoon.)

Mis amigos y yo merendamos juntos después de la escuela. (My friends and I have a snack together after school.)

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

Mi mamá merienda fruta y yogur todas las tardes. (My mom has fruit and yogurt for a snack every afternoon.)

En la oficina, merendamos a eso de las 4 pm. (At the office, we have a snack around 4 pm.)

Los niños meriendan galletas y leche cuando regresan de la escuela. (The kids have cookies and milk for a snack when they get home from school.)

¿Ustedes meriendan algo después del almuerzo? (Do you all have a snack after lunch?)

Cuando estoy de viaje, meriendo frutos secos y barritas energéticas. (When I’m traveling, I have nuts and energy bars for a snack.)

En la cultura latina, es común merendar en la tarde. (In Latin culture, it’s common to have a snack in the afternoon.)

Los atletas meriendan algo nutritivo antes de entrenar. (Athletes have a nutritious snack before training.)

¿Qué meriendas cuando tienes un antojo? (What do you have for a snack when you get a craving?)

En la reunión, merendamos sándwiches y ensalada. (At the meeting, we had sandwiches and salad for a snack.)

Mis abuelos meriendan pan tostado con café todas las tardes. (My grandparents have toast with coffee for a snack every afternoon.)

Cuando meriendo, prefiero opciones saludables como frutas y nueces. (When I have a snack, I prefer healthy options like fruits and nuts.)

¿A qué hora meriendan ustedes por la tarde? (What time do you all have a snack in the afternoon?)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.