Spanish tends to be one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn, but it still has its challenges. Anyone who’s tried learning Spanish can tell you that verbs are one of the harder parts of the language to understand, and that extends to how verb tenses work. Tenses are a factor that affect verb conjugation in Spanish, so you’ll need to know at least a few of them to hold basic Spanish conversations.
On Rosetta Stone, you can get comfortable using verb tenses and applying them in real-world conversations with fun lessons—and you’ll never have to rely on rote memorization. In this post, you can preview several of the tenses you would learn using Rosetta Stone Spanish.
Let’s take a look at all 18 Spanish verb tenses, including how they work, how to use them in a sentence, how to conjugate them, and the three moods they’re categorized into.
Table of contents
- What are verb tenses and moods?
- List of Spanish verb tenses
What are verb tenses and moods?
Verb tenses are variations of verbs that express at what time an action took place: in the past, present, or future. A verb’s tense affects its conjugation, and therefore its ending.
Spanish verb forms are also divided into grammatical moods. Moods help specify the speaker’s intention. In Spanish, there are three verb moods:
- Indicative, used for objective statements and facts.
- Subjunctive, used for expressing emotions, desires, and possibilities.
- Imperative, used for giving commands.
You will find that some Spanish tenses are similarly named but support different moods. For example, the indicative present tense and the subjunctive present tense serve distinct purposes, and each has its own verb conjugations.
List of Spanish verb tenses
There are 18 verb tenses in Spanish. Below, we’ll cover when you would use each tense, list some example sentences, and show you how to conjugate regular verbs used in that tense. For irregular verbs, which don’t follow normal Spanish conjugation rules, you can look them up in a reliable conjugation dictionary, such as SpanishDict.
Indicative tenses
The indicative tenses are used to talk about actions, states, and events that are true (or at least believed to be true). When you make a statement about reality or describe something, you would use an indicative tense. For beginner Spanish speakers, the first tenses you learn to use will probably be indicative ones. They include:
Present (Presente)
Like the present tense in English, presente in Spanish is used to talk about facts, current realities, and observable characteristics. It’s also used to talk about actions that are ongoing or habitual.
- Limpia la cocina. = He cleans the kitchen.
- ¿Cómo estás? = How are you doing?
- Me levanto a las seis y media cada mañana. = I get up at half past six every morning.
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER verbs | -IR verbs |
| yo I |
-o | -o | -o |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-as | -es | -es |
| él, ella he, she usted you (singular formal) |
-a | -e | -e |
| nosotros / nosotras we (nosotras indicating a group composed of women) |
-amos | -emos | -imos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain, vosotras indicating a group composed of women) |
-áis | -éis | -ís |
| ellos / ellas they (ellas indicating a group composed of women) ustedes you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-an | -en | -en |
Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)
Pretérito imperfecto is one of the tenses used to talk about the past in Spanish. You use this tense to talk about past actions generally, without a specific duration. This includes past habitual actions, as well as actions that were not completed in the past.
Here’s a tip: if you could use the phrase “used to” in English to describe an action, there’s a good chance you would use pretérito imperfecto for it in Spanish.
- Ibas a la piscina todos los domingos. = You went to the pool every Sunday.
- Era baja y tenía pecas cuando era joven. = She was short and had freckles when she was young.
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER and -IR verbs |
| yo I |
-aba | -ía |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-abas | -ías |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-aba | -ía |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-ábamos | -íamos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-abais | -íais |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-aban | -ían |
Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)
Pretérito indefinido is another tense used to talk about the past. You can think of it as a companion of the imperfect tense, since it covers past actions that are not habitual. Pretérito indefinido is used to talk about actions that took place at a specific time in the past, as well as completed actions that started and finished in the past.
- Compraron un coche nuevo. = They bought a new car.
- Leíste este libro el mes pasado. = You read this book last month.
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER and -IR verbs |
| yo I |
-é | -í |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-aste | -iste |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-ó | -ió |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-amos | -imos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-asteis | -isteis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-aron | -ieron |
Future (Futuro simple)
Futuro simple is used to talk about actions that will or may take place in the future. If in English you would use the word “will” before a verb, such as, “I will clean my house,” you would use futuro simple to say that same phrase in Spanish. You can also use futuro simple to talk about possibilities in the present.
- Hablaré con mi padre esta noche. = I will talk to my father tonight.
- Encontrará un trabajo bueno. = He will find a good job.
- Los niños tendrán hambre. = The children might be hungry.
The endings for regular futuro simple verbs go on the end of the infinitive form of the verb, rather than the end of the verb’s stem. Let’s look at the verb comer (“to eat”) as an example. Using comer in the present tense to say “I eat” would be conjugated as como. The ending -o goes at the end of comer’s stem. Using comer in futuro simple to say “I will eat” would be conjugated as comeré, with the ending -é going at the end of the verb’s infinitive form.
| Subject | Ending |
| yo I |
-é |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-ás |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-á |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-emos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-éis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-án |
Conditional (Condicional simple)
The condicional simple is used to talk about hypothetical situations and make requests.
- Sacaríamos la basura por ti. = We would take out the trash for you.
- ¿Podrías pasar el agua? = Would you pass the water?
Like the future tense above, condicional simple’s endings go at the end of the infinitive form of the verb and not the stem.
| Subject | Ending |
| yo I |
-ía |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-ías |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-ía |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-íamos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-íais |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-ían |
Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto)
This tense has the perfect aspect, which means it covers actions that are finished or completed. All perfect tenses use the auxiliary verb haber with a past participle. The past participle of regular verbs is formed by removing the ending of the infinitive and adding -ado for -AR verbs or -ido for -ER and -IR verbs. Because of this, our conjugation tables for perfect aspect tenses will show you how to conjugate the appropriate tense of haber.
You would use the pretérito perfecto when talking about an action that has finished in the recent past, or an action that started in the past and is still ongoing.
- Hemos vuelto para comprar la leche. = We have returned to buy milk.
- Ellas han oído la verdad. = They have heard the truth.
| Subject | Present haber conjugation |
| yo I |
he |
| tú you (singular informal) |
has |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
ha |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
hemos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
habéis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
han |
Past perfect or pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto)
Pretérito pluscuamperfecto is used to talk about an action that happened before another action.
- Ella había comido antes de ir al cine. = She had eaten before going to the movies.
- Había visto ya a mi primo. = I had already seen my cousin.
| Subject | Past (imperfect) haber conjugation |
| yo I |
había |
| tú you (singular informal) |
habías |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
había |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
habíamos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
habíais |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
habían |
Preterite perfect (Pretérito anterior)
This tense is mostly used in formal speech or in literature, so you probably won’t encounter it often in day to day life. It describes an action in the past that happened immediately before another action in the past.
- Después de que hubimos comido, sirvió el postre. = After we had eaten, he served dessert.
| Subject | Preterite haber conjugation |
| yo I |
hube |
| tú you (singular informal) |
hubiste |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
hubo |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
hubimos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
hubisteis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
hubieron |
Future perfect (Futuro perfecto)
You use the futuro perfecto to talk about actions that will have been completed at some point in the future. You can also use it to talk about conjecture — what might have or could have happened.
- Usted habrá estudiado español por tres años para este mayo. = You will have studied three years of Spanish by this May.
- Ellas habrán ido a otro café. = They must have gone to another cafe.
| Subject | Preterite haber conjugation |
| yo I |
habré |
| tú you (singular informal) |
habrás |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
habrá |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
habremos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
habréis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
habrán |
Conditional perfect (Condicional compuesto)
The condicional compuesto tense can be tricky. It’s used to talk about actions that would have happened, but didn’t due to another event. You can also use it to talk about actions that probably happened or were likely true.
- Él habría leído el libro, pero el teléfono sonó. = He would have read the book, but the phone rang.
- Habrían sido las ocho cuando llegamos. = It would have been eight o’clock when we arrived.
| Subject | Conditional haber conjugation |
| yo I |
habría |
| tú you (singular informal) |
habrías |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
habría |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
habríamos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
habríais |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
habrían |
Subjunctive tenses
The subjunctive mood is used to express most things that aren’t facts, like hopes, feelings, and recommendations. One way to memorize what the subjunctive covers is to use the acronym WEIRDO:
- Wishes
- Emotions
- Impersonal expressions
- Recommendations
- Doubts/denials
- Ojalá (“Hopefully/I wish”)
Subjunctive verbs are almost always found within a subordinate clause, which has a subject and verb but can’t stand alone as a sentence.
Tenses that fall in the subjunctive mood include:
Present subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo)
The presente de subjuntivo covers WEIRDO verbs in the present tense.
- Lamento que tengan que irse. = I’m sorry that they have to leave.
- Él duda que falles tu prueba. = He doubts that you’ll fail your test.
- Ojalá no llueva hoy. = I wish that it wouldn’t rain today.
Conjugating a verb in the presente de subjuntivo requires knowing what the yo form of the verb is in the present tense. Verb endings go at the end of the first person singular of the present tense, rather than at the end of a verb’s stem.
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER and -IR verbs |
| yo I |
-e | -a |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-es | -as |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-e | -a |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-emos | -amos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-éis | -áis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-en | -an |
Imperfect subjunctive (Imperfecto de subjuntivo)
The imperfecto de subjuntivo is used to talk about feelings related to past events, as well as hypothetical situations.
When you conjugate imperfecto de subjuntivo verbs, there are two different endings you can use. Both are correct, though different Spanish-speaking cultures may favor one ending or the other. Ending 2 is occasionally found in Spain, but ending 1 is more common overall.
- Quería que vinieras/vinieses a mi fiesta. = I wanted you to come to my party.
- Pintaría más seguido si tuviera/tuviese más tiempo. = I would paint more often if I had more time.
Imperfecto de subjuntivo conjugation is unique. Endings are not added to verb stems or infinitive forms. Instead, they are added to the third person plural (ellos/ellas and ustedes) forms of the preterite tense, minus the -ron. As a result, it helps to be very familiar with the preterite before using the imperfecto de subjuntivo.
| Subject | Ending 1 | Ending 2 |
| yo I |
-ra | -se |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-ras | -ses |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-ra | -se |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-ramos | -semos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-rais | -seis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-ran | -sen |
Future subjunctive (Futuro de subjuntivo)
The futuro de subjuntivo is rarely found in modern Spanish, and its uses are largely covered by the present subjunctive. You can still find the futuro de subjuntivo in legal documents, literature, and proverbs, so advanced Spanish speakers may have a reason to learn it.
- Sea lo que fuere el origen de los productos, serán gravados. = Whatever the origin of the products may be, they will be subject to taxation.
- Adonde fueres, haz lo que vieres. = Wherever you go, do what you see.
| Subject | Ending |
| yo I |
-re |
| tú you (singular informal) |
-res |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
-re |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-remos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
-reis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
-ren |
Present perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)
The pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo is similar to the present subjunctive, except that it covers past actions that are connected to the present, as well as actions that will have happened at a certain point in the future.
As a reminder, tenses with the perfect aspect use the auxiliary verb haber with a verb participle, so the perfect subjunctive tenses will show conjugations for haber.
- Mi profesor duda que yo haya leído el libro. = My teacher doubts that I have read the book.
- Es posible que ustedes hayan regresado para junio. = It’s possible that you will have returned by June.
| Subject | Present subjunctive haber conjugation |
| yo I |
haya |
| tú you (singular informal) |
hayas |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
haya |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
hayamos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
hayáis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
hayan |
Past perfect, or pluperfect, subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)
You use the pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo to describe hypothetical situations in the past, conditional situations in the past, and past actions that preceded other actions. Like the imperfect subjunctive, it has two different endings you can use during conjugation.
- Si hubiera/hubiese sabido, habría venido. = If I had known, I would have come.
- ¿Y si el psíquico hubiera/hubiese tenido razón sobre el futuro? = What if the psychic had been right about the future?
- Mamá no creyó que hubieras/hubieses limpiado las sábanas. = Mom did not believe that you had cleaned the sheets.
| Subject | Past (imperfect) subjunctive haber conjugation ending 1 | Past (imperfect) subjunctive haber conjugation ending 2 |
| yo I |
hubiera | hubiese |
| tú you (singular informal) |
hubieras | hubieses |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
hubiera | hubiese |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
hubiéramos | hubiésemos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
hubierais | hubieseis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
hubieran | hubiesen |
Future perfect subjunctive (Futuro perfecto de subjuntivo)
Like the futuro de subjuntivo, modern Spanish speakers rarely use the futuro perfecto de subjuntivo, and it is mostly found in legal documents and literature. You would use it to talk about actions that will have happened at a specific point in the future, but people usually use the past perfect subjunctive tense for this instead.
- Los asuntos que se hubiere acordado tramitar por el procedimiento de urgencia tendrán prioridad. = Priority will be given to those matters that fall under the emergency procedures provision.
| Subject | Future subjunctive haber conjugation |
| yo I |
hubiere |
| tú you (singular informal) |
hubieres |
| él, ella, usted he, she, you (singular informal) |
hubiere |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
hubiéremos |
| vosotros / vosotras you (plural, informal, used only in Spain) |
hubiereis |
| ellos / ellas, ustedes they, you (plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America) |
hubieren |
Imperative tenses
Tenses in the imperative mood are used to communicate direct commands. Be careful using the imperative mood, as it can come across as blunt or even impolite.
There are only two tenses in this mood. Also, the imperative tenses only include conjugations for the personal pronouns tú, usted, ustedes, vosotros and nosotros, since they’re just used to give others instructions.
The tenses included in the imperative mood are:
Affirmative imperative (Imperativo positivo)
Compared to the subjunctive tenses, the imperativo positivo is refreshingly straightforward: it’s used to tell people what to do.
- Comed más verduras. = Eat more vegetables.
- Vive tu vida. = Live your life.
It’s important to mention that some of the most frequent affirmative commands in Spanish, such as ser, ir, and hacer, are irregular verbs that don’t follow the normal conjugation rules laid out in this table.
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER and -IR verbs |
| tú you, singular informal |
-a | -e |
| usted you,singular formal |
-e | -a |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-emos | -amos |
| vosotros / vosotras you, plural, informal, used only in Spain |
-ad | -ed |
| ustedes you, plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America |
-en | -an |
Negative imperative (Imperativo negativo)
The imperativo negativo is the opposite of the imperativo positivo — you use it to tell people what not to do.
- Por favor, no llores. = Please don’t cry.
- No hagáis eso. = Don’t do that.
If you’ve mastered conjugation for the present subjunctive tense, that pays off here. The imperativo negativo uses the same forms. Just make sure you put a negative word in front of the verb, such as no or nunca (“never”).
| Subject | -AR verbs | -ER and -IR verbs |
| tú you, singular informal |
-es | -as |
| usted you,singular formal |
-e | -a |
| nosotros / nosotras we |
-emos | -amos |
| vosotros / vosotras you, plural, informal, used only in Spain |
-éis | -áis |
| ustedes you, plural, formal in Spain, formal/informal in Latin America |
-en | -an |
Relax while you’re learning tenses with Rosetta Stone
Spanish tenses may be tricky, but there’s no need to fret. You can learn to speak Spanish quickly and confidently with Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method will prepare you for speaking Spanish in everyday life using images and audio from native speakers. This flexible program fits into your life with bite-sized lessons that you can access online, or download and take with you using the Rosetta Stone app. Visit rosettastone.com to start practicing today!
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