Spanish Verb Tenses and Moods

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major Spanish tenses, verbal constructions, and moods based on the lecture notes.

Present (Presente)

Describes what is happening now, what happens regularly, or something generally true.

Present Progressive (Presente progresivo)

Describes something that is actually happening right now. Formed with estar + gerundio (-ando/-iendo).

Preterite (Pretérito)

Describes a completed action in the past, usually viewed as having a definite beginning or end.

Imperfect (Imperfecto)

Describes something that was happening, used to happen, or provides background information in the past. Also commonly used for past age, time, weather, descriptions, and habitual activities.

Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto compuesto)

Describes something that has happened, particularly when the past action has some relationship to the present. Formed with haber + past participle.

Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

Describes something that had already happened before another past event.

Simple Future (Futuro simple)

Describes something that will happen. Also used in Spanish to express probability.

Near Future (Ir a + infinitive)

A verbal construction that describes something you are going to do.

Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

Describes something that will have been completed by a particular point in the future.

Simple Conditional (Condicional simple)

Describes what would happen under certain circumstances. Also frequently used to make polite requests.

Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Describes what would have happened, but didn't.

Subjunctive Mood

Expresses the speaker's attitude toward the action, such as desire, doubt, emotion, uncertainty, recommendation, or possibility.

Present Subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo)

Used when expressing wishes, recommendations, emotions, doubts, uncertainty, or possibilities involving present or future actions.

Imperfect Subjunctive (Imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Often used for hypothetical situations or when the main verb is in the past and requires the subjunctive. The -ra forms are heard most often.

Present Perfect Subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Expresses emotion, doubt, judgment, etc. about something that has already happened.

Past Perfect Subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Used for hypothetical, contrary-to-fact situations in the past.

Imperative (Imperativo)

A mood that gives commands, instructions, advice, or requests.