SPANISH TENSES

Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................4
 What Are the Spanish Tenses?........................................................................................................................4
Present tense............................................................................................................................................................5
Verbs that End in -ar....................................................................................................................................5
Verbs that End in -er....................................................................................................................................6
Verbs that End in -ir.....................................................................................................................................7
Irregular Yo Forms.......................................................................................................................................7
Present continuous tense.........................................................................................................................................8
How to Form the Present Progressive.............................................................................................................8
Present Progressive Formula.......................................................................................................................8
Pronoun Placement.........................................................................................................................................10
Present Progressive and Present Simple...............................................................................................................11
Present Simple.............................................................................................................................................11
Present Progressive.....................................................................................................................................12
Ser vs estar.............................................................................................................................................................12
Uses of Ser........................................................................................................................................................12
1. Descriptions..............................................................................................................................................12
2. Occupations..............................................................................................................................................13
3. Characteristics.........................................................................................................................................14
4. Time..........................................................................................................................................................14
5. Origin........................................................................................................................................................15
6. Relationships............................................................................................................................................15
Uses of Estar.....................................................................................................................................................16
1. Position.....................................................................................................................................................16
2. Location....................................................................................................................................................16
3. Actions......................................................................................................................................................17
4. Conditions................................................................................................................................................17
5. Emotions...................................................................................................................................................18
Meaning Changes With Ser and Estar Phrases...........................................................................................18
Past tense...............................................................................................................................................................19
Regular Preterite Verb Endings................................................................................................................20

Present and Past Nosotros..........................................................................................................................20

Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms................................................................................................................21
Irregular Preterite Verb Conjugations.....................................................................................................21
Seeing Double-Note that ser and ir have the exact same forms in the preterite.........................................21
 Uses of the Preterite........................................................................................................................................21
1. Completed Events....................................................................................................................................21
2. Beginnings and Ends...............................................................................................................................22
3. Specific Times and Dates........................................................................................................................22
4. Events in a Sequence...............................................................................................................................23
Imperfect tense......................................................................................................................................................23
Regular Imperfect Forms...............................................................................................................................24
Regular Imperfect Verb Endings..............................................................................................................24
Irregular Imperfect Forms.............................................................................................................................24
Irregular Imperfect Conjugations.............................................................................................................25
Uses of the Imperfect Tense...........................................................................................................................25
1. Habitual or Repeated Actions................................................................................................................25
2. Actions that Were in Progress in the Past............................................................................................25
3. Times and Dates......................................................................................................................................26
4. Age............................................................................................................................................................26
5. Descriptions of Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings.................................................................26

Introduction
What Are the Spanish Tenses? 
Just as their counterparts in English, the Spanish tenses refer to time. The reason
for their existence is “to inform about the moment in time when an action takes
place.” The most common tenses are present, past, and future, but in Spanish you
have up to 15 more tenses to express yourself.

These 18 Spanish tenses in total are divided into simple and compound tense.
Simple tenses only have a main verb, while compound tenses include the auxiliary
verb haber before the main verb in past participle: he estado (I have been)

Which Are the Spanish Moods? 

The other reason for having so many different Spanish tenses is the existence of
three moods: indicative, subjunctive, and imperative. Moods indicate the intention
of the speaker and help you distinguish between different tenses. 
The good news is that the imperative doesn’t use any tenses, so we can forget
about it for now. The indicative is thought of as the “normal” mood, you usually
write or speak in the indicative mood. In the indicative mood, you express the
meaning of the verb as a reality. 
The subjunctive mood, on the other hand, has nothing normal about it and requires
a deep understanding of how it works before Spanish learners are able to master it.
I strongly recommend you to read our three part series on the Spanish subjunctive.

Present tense
The Spanish simple present tense (el presente or el presente del indicativo) can be
used to talk about habitual actions, routines, things happening now or in the near
future, universal truths, facts, hypotheticals, lapses of time, and for ordering in
restaurants and stores.

Verbs that End in -ar

To conjugate an -ar verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the ending
that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -ar Verbs

SUBJECT -AR ENDING EXAMPLE ENGLISH

S WITH HABLAR TRANSLATION
yo -o hablo I speak
tú -as hablas you (informal) speak
usted -a habla you (formal) speak
él, ella -a habla he/she speaks
nosotros -amos hablamos we speak
vosotros -áis habláis you (informal) speak
ustedes -an hablan you (formal) speak
ellos, ellas -an hablan they speak

Verbs that End in -er

To conjugate an -er verb, remove the infinitive ending (-er) and add the ending
that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -er Verbs

SUBJECT -ER ENDINGS EXAMPLE WITH COMER ENGLISH TRANSLATION

yo -o como I eat
tú -es comes you (informal) eat
usted -e come you (formal) eat
él, ella -e come he/she eats
nosotros -emos comemos we eat
vosotros -éis coméis you (informal) eat
ustedes -en comen you (formal) eat
ellos, ellas -en comen they eat

Verbs that End in -ir

To conjugate an -ir verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ir) and add the ending that
matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -ir Verbs

SUBJECT -IR ENDINGS EXAMPLE WITH VIVIR ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo -o vivo I live
tú -es vives you (informal) live
usted -e vive you (formal) live
él, ella -e vive he/she lives
nosotros -imos vivimos we live
vosotros -ís vivís you (informal) live
ustedes -en viven you (formal) live
ellos, -en viven they live
ellas

Irregular Yo Forms
Some present tense yo conjugations undergo spelling changes or are irregular.

Verbs with Spelling Changes in the Yo Form

Verbs that end in -guir, -ger, or -gir undergo a spelling change in their present tense yo forms.

 For verbs that end in -guir, the yo form ends in go.

 For verbs that end in -ger or -gir, the g in the yo form changes to a j.

SPANISH ENGLISH INFINITIVE YO FORM

INFINITIVE
extinguir to extinguish extingo
dirigir to direct dirijo
escoger to choose escojo
exigir to demand exijo
recoger to pick up recojo
Verbs with Irregular Yo Forms

The following verbs have irregular yo forms. The other present tense forms of
these verbs follow the patterns for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.

SPANISH ENGLISH INFINITIVE YO FORM

INFINITIVE
caber to fit quepo
caer to fall caigo
conocer to know conozco
dar to give doy
hacer to do/make hago
poner to put pongo
saber to know sé
salir to leave/to go out salgo
traducir to translate traduzco
traer to bring traigo
valer to be worth valgo
ver to see veo
Present continuous tense
The Spanish present progressive tense (el presente progresivo), also called the
present continuous tense (el presente continuo), is used to talk about something
that is happening now.

How to Form the Present Progressive

The present progressive is generally formed using the verb estar

Present Progressive Formula

estar + present participle

Regular present participles are formed as follows:

 Present participle of -ar verbs = verb stem + -ando (Example: hablando)

 Present participle of -er and -ir verbs = verb stem +
iendo (Examples: escribiendo, comiendo)

EXAMPLES
Estoy hablando con mi madre.
I am speaking to my mother.
Los niños están comiendo en el patio.
The children are eating in the yard.
El abuelo está durmiendo en la sala.
Grandpa is sleeping in the living room.
Marco está escribiendo un ensayo para su clase de español.
Marco is writing an essay for his Spanish class.
Estamos preparando la cena.
We are cooking dinner.
Estar Review
The present progressive is formed with the present tense of the verb estar (to be).
Here's an example showing the present progressive of the verb hablar (to speak).
Only the estar part of the present progressive changes to match the subject. The
present participle (hablando) does not change.

EXAMPLES
Yo estoy hablando.
I am speaking.
Tú estás hablando.
You are speaking.
Él/Ella está hablando.
He/she is speaking.
Usted está hablando.
You are speaking.
Nosotros estamos hablando.
We are speaking.
Vosotros estáis hablando.
You (all) are speaking.
Ustedes están hablando.
You (all) are speaking.
Ellos/Ellas están hablando.
They are speaking.
Pronoun Placement

There are two options regarding the placement of direct object pronouns, indirect
object pronouns, and reflexive pronouns with the present progressive. You can
either place the pronoun in front of the conjugated form of estar or attach it to the
end of the gerund (the verb ending in -iendo or ‐ando.)

Check out these examples:

EXAMPLES
Me estoy lavando el pelo.
I am washing my hair.
Estoy lavándome el pelo.
I am washing my hair.
Present Progressive and Present Simple
In both English and Spanish, the present progressive is used to talk about what a
subject is doing right now. However, it is also possible to use the simple present to
talk about what a subject is doing right now in Spanish. Check out the pair of
examples below; the first set uses the present simple, while the second uses the
present progressive.

Present Simple
EXAMPLES
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
Limpio la cocina.
I'm cleaning the
kitchen.

Present Progressive
EXAMPLES
¿Qué estás haciendo?
What are you doing?
Estoy limpiando la cocina.
I'm cleaning the kitchen.
Ser vs estar

Uses of Ser

Ser is used to talk about permanent or lasting attributes. If this general rule is

too vague for you, think of the acronym DOCTOR, which stands
for Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Time, Origin, and Relationships.
Let's take a look at each of the above categories individually.

1. Descriptions

Descriptions are the essential qualities that define a person or thing and probably
won’t change anytime soon. These descriptions can be names, physical
descriptions, nationalities, and even religions.

EXAMPLES
Yo soy Raúl.
I am Raul.
Yo soy alta, morena, y delgada.
I am tall, dark-skinned, and thin.
Bob es inglés.
Bob is English.
Andrés es católico.
Andres is Catholic.
2. Occupations

An occupation is what someone does for a living or as a hobby. Basically, if you're

talking about how someone makes money or fills their time, you'll use ser.
EXAMPLES
Soy profesora de español.
I am a Spanish teacher.
Ellos son estudiantes.
They are students.
Mi padre era jardinero.
My father was a gardener.
Juanita es bailarina.
Juanita is a dancer.
Notice that the indefinite articles un, una, unos, and unas may not be used when
talking about occupations with ser. They're often only included if extra
information following the occupation is given. Compare the following:
EXAMPLES
Es doctora.
She's a doctor.
Es una doctora que tiene vocación por ayudar a sus pacientes.
She's a doctor who's dedicated to helping her patients.

3. Characteristics

Characteristics are personality descriptions of a person. This category is included

to hammer home the point that ser is used to talk about descriptions.
EXAMPLES
Amalia es inteligente, atrevida, y
amable.
Amalia is intelligent, daring, and friendly.
Mi esposo es romántico y cariñoso.
My husband is romantic and caring.
4. Time

Time can refer to days, dates, years, and the time on the clock.

EXAMPLES
Hoy es miércoles.
Today is Wednesday.
Ayer fue mi cumpleaños.
Yesterday was my
birthday.
Ahora es la una.
Right now it is one o’clock.
Son las cinco veinticinco.
It's five twenty-five.

5. Origin

The place a person or thing is from or the material something is made of can be

considered an origin.
EXAMPLES
Celia es de España.
Celia is from Spain.
Este chocolate es de México.
This chocolate is from
Mexico.
Las sillas son de madera.
The chairs are made of wood.
Mi anillo es de oro.
My ring is made of gold.
6. Relationships

Personal relationships, such as family ties, friendship, and romantic

relationships, are also talked about using ser.
EXAMPLES
Lynne es mi madre.
Lynne is my mother.
Marcos es mi exnovio.
Marcos is my ex-
boyfriend.
Juana es mi jefe.
Juana is my boss.

Uses of Estar

Estar is used to indicate temporary states and locations. If that general rule
doesn’t suffice, there are two acronyms that you can think
of, PLACE and LoCo. PLACE stands for Position, Location, Action, Condition,
and Emotion. LoCo stands for Locations and Conditions. Let's look
at PLACE now.

1. Position

Position refers to the physical position or posture a person or thing is in.

EXAMPLES
Mi abuela está sentada.
My grandmother is seated.
Estaba acostada cuando me llamaste.
I was lying down when you called me.

2. Location

The location of someone or something describes where it is permanently,

temporarily, or conceptually.
EXAMPLES
El baño está a la derecha de la sala.
The bathroom is to the right of the living room.
Estamos en el café ahora y estaremos en el cine en 20 minutos.
We are at the café right now and we will be at the movie theater in 20
minutes.
Mi abuelo está en la luna.
My grandfather is out of it.
Exception! The location of an event or party is described using ser, not estar.

La fiesta es en mi casa.
(The party is at my house.)

3. Actions

Estar is used to describe ongoing actions and is often followed by a present

participle (such as lavando) or a past participle (such as muerto).
EXAMPLES
Estoy lavando los platos sucios.
I am washing the dirty dishes.
Estamos leyendo los periódicos.
We are reading the newspapers.
Mi bisabuelo está muerto.
My great-grandfather is dead.
Intriguingly, death in Spanish is seen as an ongoing action, not a permanent state,
so estar is used to talk about being dead.

4. Conditions

Physical and mental conditions are described using estar. Things that are likely to

vary over several hours, days, or even years can fall into this category.
EXAMPLES
Estoy tan cansada esta mañana.
I am so tired this morning.
Mis niños están enfermos hoy.
My children are sick today.
Mi padre está un poco loco.
My father is a little crazy.

5. Emotions

How a person is feeling at a certain moment is described using estar.

EXAMPLES
Estoy triste.
I am sad.
Ella está contenta porque recibió unas flores de su novio.
She is happy because she got some flowers from her
boyfriend.
Meaning Changes With Ser and Estar Phrases

There are some words that can be used with both ser and estar to form verb
phrases, and these take on different meanings depending on the verb. Here are
some examples of these types of phrases.
SER PHRASE ENGLISH ESTAR PHRASE ENGLISH
ser aburrido to be boring estar aburrido to be bored
ser bueno to be good estar bueno to be
tasty/attractive
ser cansado to be a tiring person estar cansado to be tired
ser grave to be serious estar grave to be seriously ill
ser listo to be clever estar listo to be ready
ser malo to be bad estar malo to be ill
ser orgulloso to be conceited or vain estar orgulloso to be proud
ser moreno to be dark-skinned estar moreno to be tanned
ser pálido to be pale-skinned estar pálido to be pale
ser pesado to be heavy/to be boring estar pesado to be annoying
ser rico to be rich estar rico to be tasty
ser seguro to be safe estar seguro to be certain
ser verde to be green estar verde to be unripe
ser viejo to be old estar viejo to look old
ser vivo to be sharp estar vivo to be alive
EXAMPLES
¿Lionel juega fútbol? - Sí, es bueno y es muy rico.
Lionel plays soccer? - Yes, he's good and he's very rich.
¿Está bueno el café? - Sí, está muy rico.
Is the coffee good? - Yes, it's quite tasty.
¡Qué cansado eres! Ya deja de hablar de ti mismo.
How tiring you are! Stop talking about yourself
already.
Si estás cansado, te puedes acostar en el sofá.
If you're tired, you can lie down on the couch.

Past tense

The Spanish preterite tense (el pretérito o el pretérito perfecto simple) is used to

describe actions completed at a point in the past.
The Spanish preterite is not used to describe habitual or continuous actions in the
past with no specific beginning or end. In such cases, the imperfect tense is used.
Regular Spanish Preterite Forms
There are only two sets of endings for regular preterite verbs, one for -ar verbs and
one for both -er and -ir verbs. To conjugate a regular verb in the preterite tense,
simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the preterite ending
that matches the subject. Check out the table of regular preterite endings below.

Regular Preterite Verb Endings

SUBJECT -AR VERB -ER AND -IR VERBS
S
yo -é -í
tú -aste -iste
él, ella, usted -ó -ió
nosotros -amos -imos
vosotros -asteis -isteis
ellos, ellas, ustedes -aron -ieron
Keep an Eye on the Accents-Note that the first person singular (yo), third person
singular (él, ella), and second person formal singular (usted) preterite forms
have tildes(written accents) on the final vowel. Keep in mind that one
little tilde can change both the tense and subject of a sentence. For example:
With a tilde:
EXAMPLES
Mandó una carta.
He/She sent a
letter.

Without a tilde:

EXAMPLES
Mando una carta.
I send a letter.

Present and Past Nosotros

The first person plural (nosotros) endings for regular -ar and -ir verbs are the
same for both the preterite and present tenses. Context clues, such as adverbs
like siempre (always) and ayer (yesterday), can help you figure out if
a nosotros form refers to the past or the present.
EXAMPLES
Siempre cocinamos paella los domingos.
We always cook paella on Sundays.
Ayer cocinamos paella para mi familia.
Yesterday we cooked paella for my
family.

Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms

Four of the most common verbs with irregular preterite forms are ser, ir, dar,
and ver. For more on tricky preterite forms, check out our article here.

Irregular Preterite Verb Conjugations

 SUBJECT SER (TO BE) IR (TO DAR (TO GIVE) VER (TO SEE)
GO)
yo fui fui di vi
tú fuiste fuiste diste viste
él, ella, usted fue fue dio vio
nosotros fuimos fuimos dimos vimos
vosotros fuisteis fuisteis disteis visteis
ellos, ellas, ustedes fueron fueron dieron vieron
Seeing Double-Note that ser and ir have the exact same forms in the preterite.

Uses of the Preterite

The preterite is used to talk about completed actions in the past. More specifically,

it is used to talk about beginnings and ends, things that took place on specific days
or dates, at specific times or during specific time periods, and events in a sequence.

1. Completed Events

The preterite is used to talk about completed events, especially those with very
clear beginnings and ends.
EXAMPLES
Compré un coche nuevo.
I bought a new car.
Ben y Cristina se casaron.
Ben and Cristina got married.
Roberto nació en Costa Rica.
Roberto was born in Costa
Rica.
2. Beginnings and Ends

Beginnings and ends themselves are also talked about using the preterite. Key
verbs you'll see used to talk about beginnings and ends in the past are empezar (to
begin), comenzar (to begin), terminar (to finish), and acabar (to end).
EXAMPLES
Empezó a nevar.
It began to snow.
La película terminó con una sorpresa.
The movie ended with a surprise.

3. Specific Times and Dates

The preterite is used to talk about past events or actions that occurred on specific
days or dates, at specific times, and during specific time periods.
EXAMPLES
Regresé anoche a las diez.
I got back last night at ten.
Vivió en Perú por tres meses.
He lived in Peru for three
months.
Leíste este libro el mes pasado.
You read this book last month.
Nacho nació el tres de agosto.
Nacho was born on August third.

4. Events in a Sequence
The preterite is used for listing past events that took place in a sequence.
EXAMPLES
Me levanté, me vestí, y salí para la fiesta.
I got up, got dressed, and left for the party.
Tú entraste, bebiste un vaso de agua y comiste una
hamburguesa.
You came in, drank a glass of water, and ate a hamburger.

Imperfect tense

The Spanish imperfect tense (el pretérito imperfect o copretérito) is used to

describe past habitual actions or to talk about what someone was doing when they
were interrupted by something else.

Regular Imperfect Forms

There are only two sets of endings for regular imperfect verbs in Spanish, one for -
ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.

To conjugate a regular verb in the imperfect tense in Spanish, simply remove the
infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the imperfect ending that matches the
subject.
Regular Imperfect Verb Endings
SUBJECT -AR VERBS -ER AND -IR VERBS
yo -aba -ía
tú -abas -ías
él, ella, usted -aba -ía
nosotros -ábamos -íamos
vosotros -abais -íais
ellos, ellas, ustedes -aban -ían

Irregular Imperfect Forms

There are only three verbs with irregular conjugations in the imperfect: ir, ser,
and ver. Here they are!

Irregular Imperfect Conjugations

SUBJECT IR (TO GO) SER (TO BE) VER (TO SEE)
yo iba era veía
tú ibas eras veías
él, ella, usted iba era veía
nosotros íbamos éramos veíamos
vosotros ibais erais veíais
ellos, ellas, ustedes iban eran veían
Uses of the Imperfect Tense

In general, the imperfect is used to talk about past actions, conditions, or events
that occurred habitually or repeatedly or that were in progress at a point in the past.
It is also used to tell time, talk about dates, give a person's age, and describe
characteristics, conditions, and feelings in the past. Read on for more about these
uses of the imperfect.

1. Habitual or Repeated Actions

Habitual or repeated actions are those that were done over and over in the past.
These are often things a person used to or would do.
EXAMPLES
Almorzábamos juntos cada día.
We  used to eat lunch together every day.
Todos los sábados las mujeres iban de compras.
Every Saturday the ladies would go shopping.

2. Actions that Were in Progress in the Past

It's quite common to see the imperfect used to talk about something that was
happening when something else occurred. It's also used for actions that continued
in the past for an unspecified period of time.

When talking about a past action in progress that was interrupted, the action in
progress is in the imperfect, while the interrupting action is in the preterite.
EXAMPLES
Iba a clase cuando sonó el teléfono.
I was going to class when the telephone rang.
Mi papá cocinaba cuando entré a casa.
My dad  was cooking when I came in the
house.
 A veces le dolían las manos y las piernas.
Sometimes her hands and legs ached.

3. Times and Dates

The imperfect is used to talk about times and dates in the past.
EXAMPLES
Eran las tres de la tarde.
It  was  three o'clock in the
afternoon.
Era el 9 de mayo.
It  was  May 9th.

4. Age

The imperfect is commonly used to talk about age in the past.

EXAMPLES
La niña tenía 4 años.
The little girl was 4 years old.
Los perros tenían dos años cuando los adopté.
The dogs  were two years old when I adopted
them.

5. Descriptions of Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings

The imperfect is used to give descriptions in the past, especially those that set the
scene in terms of the senses.
EXAMPLES
Mi profesor era alto y tenía el pelo
ondulado.
My professor was tall and had wavy hair.
El campo era bello.
The countryside was beautiful.
Hacía calor esa noche.
It  was  hot that night.
Me sentía feliz con mi trabajo nuevo.
I was happy with my new job.
Quería mudarme a otro país.
I wanted to move to another country.

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Explanation

Many students have trouble knowing when to use the preterite tense or the

imperfect tense, as they both refer to actions in the past. There are several general
rules you can follow to know when to use one tense or another. Additionally, many
Spanish phrases tend to be used only with the preterite or only with the imperfect,
so memorizing them is very helpful! In this article, we’ll take a look at the general
uses of both tenses, as well as helpful “trigger” phrases.
Pair Work

One way this pair of tenses is often used is to talk about an ongoing action or event
that was interrupted in the past. In such case, the interrupted action is given in the
imperfect tense, while the interrupting action is given in the preterite.

For example:

EXAMPLES
Caminaba por el centro cuando me encontré con el hermano de mi mejor
amiga.
I was walking downtown when I ran into my best friend's brother.
Lourdes y Marco hablaban del examen cuando llegué a clase.
Lourdes and Marco were talking about the test when I got to class.

The Preterite

Generally, the preterite is used for completed actions (actions that have definite
beginning and end points.) These can be actions that can be viewed as single
events, actions that were part of a chain of events, actions that were repeated a very
specific number of times, or actions that specifically state the beginning and end of
an action.

Check out these examples:

EXAMPLES
Fui al baile anoche.
I went to the dance last night.
Caminé al mercado, compré unos plátanos, y regresé a casa.
I walked to the market, bought some bananas, and returned
home.
Te llamó tres veces.
He called you three times.
Hablé con mi madre de las dos hasta las tres.
I spoke with my mother from two o’clock until three o’clock.

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Preterite

There are many helpful words and phrases that indicate specific time frames,
therefore signaling that the preterite should be used. Here are a few:
SPANISH ENGLISH SPANISH ENGLISH
una vez one time el otro día the other day
ayer yesterday entonces then
anteayer the day before anteanoche the night before
yesterday last
ayer por la yesterday morning ayer al mediodía yesterday at noon
mañana
anoche last night ayer por la noche last night
esta mañana this morning esta tarde this afternoon
la semana pasada last week el mes pasado last month
el año pasado last year en ese momento at that moment
ayer por la tarde yesterday afternoon hoy por la mañana this morning
hace (dos) años (two) years ago hace (dos) días (two) days ago
el (lunes) pasado last (Monday) la semana pasada last week
durante (tres) for (three) centuries desde el primer from the first
moment
siglos momento

Verbs that are Preterite by Nature

Some verbs used to talk about events with a very definite beginning and end are
almost always used in the preterite. Here are a few examples.
SPANISH ENGLISH SPANISH ENGLISH
casarse to get married graduarse to
graduate
cumplir años to turn a certain llegar to arrive
age
darse cuenta to realize morir to die
de
decidir to decide nacer to be born
descubrir to discover salir to leave

The Imperfect

The imperfect tense is generally used for actions in the past that do not have a
definite end. These can be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in
general in the past. It can also be used to talk about:

 actions that were repeated habitually

 actions that set the stage for another past tense event
 time and dates
 a person’s age in the past
 characteristics
 mental or physical states

Check out these examples:

EXAMPLES
Cuando era niña, jugaba con muñecas.
When I was a child, I used to play with dolls.
Los chicos hablaban en español.
The boys were speaking in Spanish.
Estaba durmiendo cuando el teléfono sonó.
I was sleeping when the telephone rang.
Cuando tenía tres años, era muy pequeño.
When he was three years old, he was very
small.

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Imperfect

Here are some helpful words and phrases that often signal that a verb should be
used in the imperfect.
SPANISH ENGLISH SPANISH ENGLISH
a menudo often frecuentemente frequently
rara vez rarely a veces sometimes
generalmente usually siempre always
algunas veces at times mientras while
tantas veces so many times todos los años every year
cada día every day muchas veces many times
todas las every week todo el tiempo all the time
semanas
con frecuencia frequently casi nunca almost never
mucho a lot nunca never
por lo general generally todos los días every day
de vez en cuando once in a por un rato for a while
while
en aquella época at that time varias veces several
times

Conditional
The conditional tense in Spanish (el condicional o el pospretérito) is used to talk
about hypothetical situations and probabilities and to make polite requests.
The Spanish conditional tense is formed much like the Spanish simple future tense.
Both regular and irregular verbs use the same set of endings, and any stems that are
irregular in the simple future are also irregular in the conditional.

Regular Conditional Forms

To form the conditional tense with regular -ar verbs, regular -er verbs, and regular
-ir verbs, simply add the conditional endings to the end of the infinitive. Below
you'll find a table with the Spanish conditional endings, as well as conjugations of
three regular verbs in the conditional: viajar, conocer, and escribir.

Spanish Conditional Endings

SUBJECT CONDITIONAL ENDING
yo -ía
tú -ías
usted, él, ella -ía
nosotros -íamos
vosotros -íais
ustedes, ellos, ellas -ían

The endings for the conditional tense are the same as those for the -er and -
ir forms of the imperfect tense. However, conditional endings are attached to
the infinitive, while imperfect endings are attached to the stem.

Conditional: Escribiría unas cartas. (I would write some letters.)

Imperfect: Escribía unas cartas. (I wrote some letters.)

Conditional Conjugations of Viajar, Conocer, and Escribir

SUBJECT VIAJAR CONOCER ESCRIBIR
yo viajaría conocería escribiría
tú viajarías conocerías escribirías
usted, él, ella viajaría conocería escribiría
nosotros viajaríamos conoceríamo escribiríamos
s
vosotros viajaríais conoceríais escribiríais
ustedes, ellos, ellas viajarían conocerían escribirían

Check out these examples of the regular conditional.

EXAMPLES
Compraría esa camisa.
I would buy that shirt.
Sacaría la basura por ti.
He would take out the trash for you.
Si fuera rico, viajaría por todo el mundo.
If I were rich, I would travel all over the
world.

Irregular Conditional Forms

The conditional has relatively few irregular verbs. They fall into three categories:

1. Verbs where the last vowel in the infinitive is replaced with a -d
2. Verbs where the last vowel in the infinitive is removed
3. Verbs that are just plain irregular

1. Verbs Where the Last Vowel in the Infinitive Is Replaced with a -d

Only -er and -ir verbs fall into this category. To form the stem of these verbs,
simply replace the e or i at the end of the infinitive with a -d. Then, add the
conditional endings.

A good example of this type of verb is tener (to have). Check out the conditional
conjugation of this verb below.

Tener Conditional Conjugation
SUBJECT TENER (TO HAVE)
yo tendría
tú tendrías
usted, él, ella tendría
nosotros tendríamos
vosotros tendríais
ustedes, ellos, ellas tendrían

Other Verbs like Tener

INFINITIVE CONDITIONAL STEM
poner pondr-
valer valdr-
salir saldr-
venir vendr-
EXAMPLES
Usted tendría una casa nueva.
You would have a new house.
Valdría mil dólares.
It would be worth $1,000.

2. Verbs Where the Last Vowel in the Infinitive Is Removed

Only -er verbs fall into this category. To form the stem of these verbs, remove the
vowel from the infinitive ending. Then, add the conditional endings.

A good example of this type of verb is poder (to be able to). Check out the
conditional conjugation of this verb below.

Poder Conditional Conjugation
SUBJECT PODER (TO BE ABLE TO)
yo podría
tú podrías
usted, él, ella podría
nosotros podríamos
vosotros podríais
ustedes, ellos, ellas podrían

Other Verbs like Poder

INFINITIVE CONDITIONAL STEM
caber cabr-
haber habr-
querer querr-
saber sabr-
EXAMPLES
¿Podrías pasar el agua?
Would you pass the water?
Habría menos basura en el parque si todos lo cuidáramos.
There would be less trash in the park if we all took care of
it.
3. Irregular Stems

The verbs decir (to say) and hacer (to do/make) have slightly more drastic stem
changes that don't fit into either of the above patterns. Check out the conditional
conjugations of these two verbs below.

Decir and Hacer Conditional Conjugations
SUBJECT DECIR (TO TELL) HACER (TO MAKE/TO DO)
yo diría haría
tú dirías harías
usted, él, ella diría haría
nosotros diríamos haríamos
vosotros diríais haríais
ustedes, ellos, ellas dirían harían
EXAMPLES
Diríais el cuento de tu aventura en el caribe.
You would tell the story of your adventure in the Caribbean.
Haría el pastel si tuviera tiempo.
I would make the cake if I had time.
Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive (el imperfecto de subjuntivo) follows many of the
same rules as the present subjunctive. Introduced with a preterite, imperfect,
conditional, or past perfect WEIRDO verb in the independent clause, the imperfect
subjunctive often refers to a previous experience, but can also refer to unlikely
events or possibilities.

Check out these examples of the imperfect subjunctive.

EXAMPLES
Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por todo el mundo.
If I had more money, I would travel around the whole
world.
Si yo fuera tú, no lo haría.
If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.

Imperfect Subjunctive Forms

Finding the Imperfect Subjunctive Stem

To conjugate a verb in the imperfect subjunctive, you'll need to know the third
person plural (ellos, ellas) preterite form of the verb you're using. Why? Instead of
using the infinitive for a stem, the imperfect subjunctive uses the third person
plural of the preterite (minus the -ron). Whatever the third person preterite from of
a verb is, whether regular or irregular, becomes the base for the imperfect
subjunctive stem.
Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Formula

imperfect subjunctive stem = third person plural preterite form minus -

ron ending

Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Examples

Here are the imperfect subjunctive stems of some common Spanish verbs.
INFINITIVE THIRD PERSON PRETERITE FORM IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE STEM
caber cupieron cupie-
dar dieron die-
decir dijeron dije-
dormir durmieron durmie-
estar estuvieron estuvie-
haber hubieron hubie-
hablar hablaron habla-
hacer hicieron hicie-
ir fueron fue-
leer leyeron leye-
tener tuvieron tuvie-
pedir pidieron pidie-
poder pudieron pudie-
poner pusieron pusie-
preferir prefirieron prefirie-
querer quisieron quisie-
saber supieron supie-
sentir sintieron sintie-
ser fueron fue-
traducir tradujeron traduje-
traer trajeron traje-
ver vieron vie-
Imperfect Subjunctive Endings

When conjugating the imperfect subjunctive, you can choose from two different
sets of endings. Both are correct, though use of the first set, whose yo ending is -
ra, is more widespread.
SUBJECT SUBJUNCTIVE 1 ENDINGS SUBJUNCTIVE 2 ENDINGS
yo -ra -se
tú -ras -ses
él, ella, usted -ra -se
nosotros -ramos -semos
vosotros -rais -seis
ellos, ellas, ustedes -ran -sen

Watch out for the accents

Nosotros imperfect subjunctive conjugations have a tilde on the vowel that comes

immediately before the subjunctive ending. For example:

habláramos /hablásemos

escribiéramos/escribiésemos

Here are three common verbs conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive with each set
of endings.

Subjunctive 1
SUBJECT HABLAR HACER TRADUCIR
yo hablara hiciera tradujera
tú hablaras hicieras tradujeras
él, ella, usted hablara hiciera tradujera
nosotros habláramos hiciéramos tradujéramos
vosotros hablarais hicierais tradujerais
ellos, ellas, ustedes hablaran hicieran tradujeran
Subjunctive 2
SUBJECT HABLAR HACER TRADUCIR
yo hablase hiciese tradujese
tú hablases hicieses tradujeses
él, ella, usted hablase hiciese tradujese
nosotros hablásemo hiciésemos tradujésemos
s
vosotros hablaseis hicieseis tradujeseis
ellos, ellas, ustedes hablasen hiciesen tradujesen

Imperfect Subjunctive Uses

The imperfect subjunctive can be used to talk about past occurrences, current
opinions of past events, doubts and wishes, as well as in if clauses and polite
requests.

1. Past Occurrences

If the WEIRDO verb in the independent clause is in the preterite or the imperfect,

then the subjunctive verb that follows will be imperfect.
EXAMPLES
Quería que vinieras/vinieses a mi fiesta.
I wanted you to come to my party.
Tenía miedo de que no lloviera/lloviese.
I was scared it wouldn't rain.
Le iba a prestar dinero para que se comprara un abrigo.
I was going to lend him money so he could buy a coat.
2. Current Opinions of Past Events

The imperfect subjunctive can also be used to express current emotions, doubts,
etc. about something that happened in the past.
EXAMPLES
Es bueno que él se casara/casase.
It's good that he got married.
No me parece que el viaje fuera/fuese largo.
It doesn't seem to me that the journey was
long.

3. Doubts and Wishes

It's common to see ojalá or ojalá que used with the imperfect subjunctive to

express the idea of hoping for something that is unlikely to happen or is
impossible.
EXAMPLES
Ojalá que nevara/nevase en Panamá.
I wish it were snowing in Panama.
Ojalá mi hermano se casara/casase.
I wish my brother were getting
married.

4. If Clauses

When preceded by si (if), the imperfect subjunctive is often used to talk about
hypotheticals. Note that the other verb in these constructions is in the conditional.

EXAMPLES
Si yo fuera/fuese reina, viajaría por todo el mundo.
If I were queen, I would travel all over the world.
Pintaría más seguido si tuviera/tuviese más tiempo.
I would paint more often if I had more time.

5. Relative Clauses

The imperfect subjunctive is used in relative clauses with a non-existent, indefinite,

or negated antecedent.
EXAMPLES
Buscaba una casa que tuviera/tuviese una piscina.
I was looking for a house that had a pool.
No conocía a nadie que viviera/viviese en Buenos Aires.
I didn’t know anyone who lived in Buenos Aires.

6. Polite Suggestions and Requests

The imperfect subjunctive can be used to make very polite suggestions or formal
requests.
EXAMPLES
Quisiera/Quisiese dos semanas de vacaciones.
I would like two weeks of vacation.
Future tense

There are two ways to form the future tense in Spanish: the informal
future (ir + a + infinitive) and the simple future (el futuro simple). The simple
future, unlike the informal future, is expressed in a single word.

The Spanish simple future is used to talk about what will or shall happen. It is also

used to express the possibility of what someone might or may be doing in the
present.

Check out these sentences with the simple future.

EXAMPLES
Jugarás para el equipo nacional.
You will play for the national team.
Él hablará con su novia esta noche.
He will talk to his girlfriend tonight.
Llorarán al final de esa película.
You will cry at the end of that
movie.

Regular Simple Future Tense Spanish Forms

To form the simple future tense, simply add the correct ending to the infinitive of the
verb. All verb conjugations (-ar, -er, and -ir) have the same endings in the simple
future tense.

Spanish Simple Future Endings

SUBJECT ENDING
yo -é
tú -ás
 usted, él, ella -á
nosotros -emos
vosotros -éis
ustedes, ellos, ellas -án
.

Future Conjugations of Viajar, Conocer and Escribir

SUBJECT VIAJAR CONOCER ESCRIBIR
yo viajaré conoceré escribiré
tú viajarás conocerás escribirás
usted, él, ella viajará conocerá escribirá
nosotros viajaremo conoceremos escribiremos
s
vosotros viajaréis conoceréis escribiréis
ustedes, ellos, ellas viajarán conocerán escribirán

Uses of the Simple Future

While the simplest future is most often used to talk about what a person will do, it
can also be used to talk about conjecture, possibilities, and probabilities in the
present, make predictions about the future, and give solemn commands.

1. Conjectures, Possibilities, and Probabilities

The simple future is often used to talk about things that may be or
are probably true.
EXAMPLES
Anita estará en la playa ahora.
Anita is probably at the beach right
now.
Los niños tendrán hambre.
The children might be hungry.
Serán las ocho de la mañana.
It must be eight o'clock in the morning.
¿Dónde estarán mis llaves?
Where could my keys be?
¿Cuántos años tendrá el profesor?
I wonder how old the professor is.

2. Predictions about the Future

The simple future is often used to make predictions about the future.
EXAMPLES
Me casaré con un hombre guapo.
I will marry a handsome man.
Encontrará un trabajo bueno.
He will find a good job.

The simple future can also be used in conditional sentences with si (if) to talk about
what someone will do. In sentences like this, the verb immediately after si is in the
present tense, while the verb in the other part of the sentence is in the simple
future.
EXAMPLES
Si tengo tiempo, saldré a correr en la tarde.
If I have time, I'll go running this
afternoon.

3. Solemn Commands

Giving solemn commands is another way to use the simple future, although not a
very common one.
EXAMPLES
No robarás.
You shall/will not steal.
Te sentarás aquí hasta que regrese.
 You shall/will sit right here until I
return.
Obedecerás a tus abuelos.
You shall/will obey your grandparents.

In Spanish, it's very common for the present tense to be used to talk about future
events that are certain. Check out the examples below.
EXAMPLES
Te veo mañana en la escuela.
I’ll see you tomorrow at school.
Me caso el 6 de mayo.
I am getting married on May 6.
Mis padres me visitan mañana.
My parents are going to visit me
tomorrow.

The simple future has both regular forms and irregular forms. Let's learn about the
irregular forms now!

The simple future has relatively few irregular verbs, and they fall into three distinct
categories:

 those that drop the e or i from the infinitive ending and add a d
 those that simply drop the e or i from the infinitive ending
 those that don't follow any predictable pattern and must simply be
memorized

Forms that Drop the e or i from the Infinitive Ending and Add a d
Only -er and -ir verbs fall into this category. To form the future with verbs in this
category, simply remove the e or i from the infinitive ending, add a d, then add the
simple future endings.

Conjugation Example: Tener
SUBJECT VERB CONJUGATIONS
yo tendré
tú tendrás
él, ella, usted tendrá
nosotros tendremos
vosotros tendréis
ellos, ellas, ustedes tendrán

Other Verbs like Tener

INFINITIVE SIMPLE FUTURE STEM
poner pondr-
valer valdr-
salir saldr-
venir vendr-
EXAMPLES
Tendrá un profesor bueno en esa clase.
You will have a good professor in that
class.
Pondré el pastel en la mesa.
I will put the cake on the table.

Forms that Drop the e or i from the Infinitive Ending

Only -er verbs fall into this category. To form the future with verbs in this
category, simply remove the e or i from the infinitive ending, then add the simple
future endings.

Conjugation Example: Poder
SUBJECT VERB CONJUGATION
yo podré
tú podrás
él, ella, usted podrá
nosotros podremos
vosotros podréis
ellos, ellas, ustedes podrán

Other Verbs like Poder

INFINITIVE SIMPLE FUTURE STEM
caber cabr-
haber habr-
saber sabr-
querer querr-
EXAMPLES
Podrás hablar español muy pronto.
You will be able to speak Spanish very
soon.
Habrá mucha gente en la fiesta.
There will be many people at the party.

Irregular stems

The verbs decir (to say) and hacer (to make/to do) have irregular stems that must
be memorized. Verbs that have either of these two verbs as their root, such
as predecir (to predict) and rehacer (to redo), follow the same conjugation patters
as decir and hacer in the simple future.
Conjugation Examples: Decir and Hacer
SUBJECT DECIR HACER
yo diré haré
tú dirás harás
él, ella, usted dirá hará
nosotros diremos haremos
vosotros diréis haréis
ellos, ellas, ustedes dirán harán
EXAMPLES
Diréis el cuento de tu viaje a Argentina.
You will tell your story of your trip to
Argentina.
Ellos harán el pastel para mi mamá.
They will make the cake for Mom.

Present subjunctive

The Spanish present subjunctive (el presente de subjuntivo) is used to talk about
situations of doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, or uncertainty.

Unlike the present indicative, the present subjunctive is generally subjective. For

specifics on when to use the subjunctive instead of the indicative, see our article
on subjunctive vs. indicative.

Conjugating Verbs in the Present Subjunctive

To conjugate a verb in the present subjunctive, you must first remember what the
present indicative yo form of the verb in question is. This is because the stem of
present subjunctive verbs comes from the yo form of the present indicative. For
many verbs, this will be the same as the infinitive stem, but for many others, such
as verbs with spelling changes, stem-changing verbs, and irregular verbs, it will be
different.
Present Subjunctive Stem Formula

The formula for finding the present subjunctive stem of a verb is the following:

Present subjunctive stem = yo form of present indicative minus o ending

Here are a few examples of present subjunctive stems.

INFINITIVE YO PRESENT INDICATIVE FORM PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE STEM
caber quepo quep-
caer caigo caig-
conocer conozco conozc-
hacer hago hag-
lucir luzco luzc-
parecer parezco parezc-
poner pongo pong-
querer quiero quier-
tener tengo teng-
traer traigo traig-
valer valgo valg-
ver veo ve-

Regular Present Subjunctive Endings

Once you have the stem, you will add the present subjunctive ending that matches
your subject. There are only two ending sets for the present subjunctive: one for -
ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.
SUBJECT -AR VERB ENDINGS -ER AND -IR VERB ENDINGS
yo e a
tú es as
usted, él, ella e a
nosotros emos amos
vosotros éis áis
ustedes, ellos, ellas en an

In the table below are full present subjunctive conjugations for hablar, tener, and vivir.

SUBJECT HABLAR TENER VIVIR

 yo hable tenga viva
tú hables tengas vivas
usted, él, ella hable tenga viva
nosotros hablemos tengamo vivamos
s
vosotros habléis tengáis viváis
ustedes, ellos, ellas hablen tengan vivan

Irregular Present Subjunctive Verbs

There are only six truly irregular verbs in the subjunctive. You'll find the
conjugations for each of these verbs in the tables below.

Present Subjunctive Conjugations of Dar, Estar, and Ser

SUBJECT DAR ESTAR SER
yo dé esté sea
tú des estés seas
usted, él, ella dé esté sea
nosotros demos estemo seamos
s
vosotros deis estéis seáis
ustedes, ellos, ellas den estén sean

Present Subjunctive Conjugations of Haber, Ir, and Saber

 SUBJECT HABER IR SABER
yo haya vaya sepa
tú hayas vayas sepas
usted, él, ella haya vaya sepa
nosotros hayamos vayamo sepamos
s
vosotros hayáis vayáis sepáis
ustedes, ellos, ellas hayan vayan sepan

Tildes Mean A Lot!-The tilde on dé is used to distinguish it from the

preposition de.

Stem Changes in the Present Subjunctive

1. e> ie and o> ue Stem Changes with -ar and -er Verbs

For verbs in this group, the e in the last syllable of the stem (the yo form of the
present indicative) changes to ie, or the o in the last syllable of the stem
(the yo form of the present indicative) changes to ue. All subjunctive forms follow
the stem change except for nosotros and vosotros, which use the infinitive stem.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Querer

quiera queramos
quieras queráis
quiera quieran

2. e> ie and o> ue Stem Changes with -ir Verbs

All e> ie and o> ue stem-changing -ir verbs follow the same changes as in the
present indicative, except the nosotros and vosotros, forms, in which
the e changes to i and the o changes to u.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Sentir

sienta sintamos
sienta sintáis
s
sienta sientan

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Dormir

duerma durmamos
duerma durmáis
s
duerma duerman

3. e> i Stem Changes with -ir Verbs

All e> i stem-changing -ir verbs in the present indicative maintain the stem change

in all forms of the present subjunctive.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Pedir

pida pidamos
pidas pidáis
pida pidan

Spelling Changes

Some verbs in the present subjunctive undergo spelling changes. This often occurs
for reasons of pronunciation, and these changes often match those of verbs
with spelling changes in the preterite. Let's take a look at some of these verbs.

1. -ger and -gir Verbs
  Verbs ending in -ger and -gir have a j instead of a g in the subjunctive. The
base form for these verbs is the first person form of the present tense, which
undergoes a spelling change.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Escoger

escoja escojamos
escoja escojáis
s
escoja escojan

2. -car, -gar, and -zar Verbs

 Verbs ending in -car, -gar, and -zar undergo a change in the final consonant

before -ar. These consonants change to qu, gu, and c, respectively. Some of
these verbs, such as empezar, also undergo stem changes.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Sacar

saque saquemos
saque saquéis
s
saque saquen

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Llegar

llegue lleguemos
llegue lleguéis
s
llegue lleguen

Present Subjunctive Conjugation Table for Empezar

empiece empecemos
empiece empecéis
s
 empiece empiecen

Present Perfect Tense

The Spanish present perfect (el pretérito perfecto compuesto o el antepresente)
is used to talk about things that started in the past and which continue or repeat in
the present. It's also used to talk about things that have happened in the recent past.

Present Perfect Indicative Formula

Present indicative of haber + past participle of another verb

Check out these examples of the present perfect.

Present Perfect Examples

EXAMPLES
He visto las montañas de Perú.
I have seen the mountains of Perú.
Has ido a Colombia.
You have gone to Colombia.
Usted ha escrito un poema bonito.
You have written a pretty poem.
Él ha dormido 10 horas.
He has slept 10 hours.
Ella ha dicho que es una princesa.
She has said that she is a princess.
Hemos vuelto para comprar la
leche.
We have returned to buy milk.
Habéis cantado muy bien.
You have sung very well.
Ustedes han hecho un pastel
delicioso.
You have made a delicious cake.
Ellos han bailado en 12 países.
They have danced in 12 countries.
Ellas han oído la verdad.
They have heard the truth.

For talking about actions that happened in the recent past, the present perfect is
more widely used in Spain than in Latin America. It's more common to hear the
preterite, or simple past, used in Latin America to talk about something that just
happened.

Haber and Pronoun Placement

Haber-the auxiliary verb used with the present perfect, and the past participle are
never separated in a present perfect construction. If an object pronoun (such as los)
is used with the present perfect, it goes immediately before haber.
EXAMPLES
¿Los has visto?
Have you seen them?
Se las he dado.
I have given them to
her.

Present Perfect or Present Simple?

The present perfect may be used to talk about an action still in progress, but it's
also common to use the present tense to do this.
EXAMPLES
He vivido aquí por muchos años.
I have lived here many years.
Hace tres años que vivo aquí.
I have lived here for three years.

The present perfect may be used to talk about something that was just done, but it's
also very common to use acabar de or the simple past, especially in Latin
America.
EXAMPLES
He comprado la leche y los panes.
I've bought the milk and the rolls.
Acabo de comprar la leche y los panes.
I just bought the milk and the rolls.
Compré la leche y los panes.
I bought the milk and the rolls.