spanish tenses and moods

Personal pronouns

1st: yo

2nd: tú / usted(fml)

3rd: él / ella

1st (pl): nosotros

2nd (pl): vosotros / ustedes

3rd (pl): ellos / ellas

Past Participle (Non-personal)

A verbal form indicating completed actions;

-ar: -ado

-er / -ir: -ido

(if a vowel precedes the ending, add an accent: leer → leído)

Irregulars:

1. abrir ➔ abierto

2. decir ➔ dicho

3. escribir ➔ escrito

4. hacer ➔ hecho

5. morir ➔ muerto

6. poner ➔ puesto

7. ver ➔ visto

8. volver ➔ vuelto

Infinitive (Non-personal)

The base form of a verb, typically ending in -ar, -er, or -ir;

hablar → to speak

Present participle

A verbal form indicating ongoing actions;

-ando for -ar verbs

-iendo for -er / -ir verbs

hablando → speaking

Preterite Perfect (Indicative)

Describes actions completed in past that are relevant to the present;

hube

hubiste

hubo + past participle

hubimos

hubisteis

hubieron

“Yo hube hablado.” → “I had spoken.”

(only used in writing)

Pluperfect (Indicative)

Describes actions completed before another action in the past;

había

habías

había + past participle

habíamos

habíais

habían

"Yo había hablado." → "I had spoken."

Preterite (indicative)

Describes completed actions in the past;

often used for specific events or actions with defined beginnings and endings

-ar: é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron

-er / -ir: í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron

"Ayer hablé" → "Yesterday I spoke."

Irregular yo-form verbs:

1. ir ➔ fui (to go)

2. ser ➔ fui (to be)

3. tener ➔ tuve (to have)

4. estar ➔ estuve (to be)

5. hacer ➔ hice (to do/make)

6. poder ➔ pude (to be able)

7. poner ➔ puse (to put)

8. saber ➔ supe (to know)

9. venir ➔ vine (to come)

10. decir ➔ dije (to say)

Imperfect (indicative)

Describes past actions that were ongoing or habitual;

often provides background context.

-ar: aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban
-er / -ir: ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían.
"Cuando era niño, jugaba mucho." → "When I was a child, I played a lot."

Only three irregulars:

ir ➔ iba (to go)

ser ➔ era (to be)

ver ➔ veía (to see)

Present perfect (indicative)

Describes actions that occurred at an unspecified time before now;

he

has

ha + past participle

hemos

habéis

han

"Yo he hablado" → "I have spoken."

Present (Indicative)

Describes actions happening currently or regularly;

uses simple verb forms:

-ar: o, as, a, amos, áis, an -er / -ir: o, es, e, emos, éis, en

"Yo hablo" → "I speak"

Conditional (indicative)

Describes actions that would occur under certain conditions; add endings to infinitives
-ar: aría, arías, aría, aríamos, aríais, arían
-er / -ir: ería,erías, ería, eríamos, eríais, erían.
"Si tuviera tiempo, iría al cine." → "If I had time, I would go to the movies."

Conditional Perfect (indicative)

Describes actions that would have occurred under certain conditions in the past;

habría

habrías

habría + past participle

habríamos

habrías

habrían

'yo habría hablado' → 'I would have spoken.'

Future (indicative)

Describes actions that will happen;

add endings to infinitives (like conditional)

-ar: é, ás, á, emos, éis, án

-er / -ir: é, ás, á, emos, éis, án.

"Yo hablaré" → "I will speak."

Irregular verbs in yo-form:

1. tener ➔ tendré

2. venir ➔ vendré

3. salir ➔ saldré

4. poder ➔ podré

5. hacer ➔ haré

6. decir ➔ diré

7. satisfacer ➔ satisfaré

8. caber ➔ cabré

Conditional (Indicative) BONUS

Indicates future plans or actions;

voy

vas

va + a + infinitive

vamos

vais

van

“Voy a hablar” → “I am going to speak”

Future Perfect (Indicative)

Describes actions that will have occurred at a specified point in the future;

habré

habrás

habrá + past participle

habremos

habréis

habrán

'Yo habré hablado' → 'I will have spoken.'

The verb “haber”

used by itself, it means “there is” or “there are”

can only be conjugated in 3rd person singular, regardless of the number of subjects

hay: there is, there are

hubo: there was, there were

había: there was, there were (imperfect)

habrá: there will be

habría: there would be

(can also mean “to have” in forming the perfect tense: had, have)

Pluperfect (subjunctive)

Describes actions that had occurred before another past action, usually expressing doubt or emotion;

formed using "hubiera" or "hubieses" + past participle.

hubiera or hubiese

hubieras or hubieses

hubiera or hubiese + past participle

hubiéramos or hubiésemos

hubierais or hubieseis

hubieran or hubiesen

"…que yo hubiera hablado” or “…que yo hubiese hablado” → “…that I had spoken”

Imperfect (subjunctive)

This mood conveys actions that are hypothetical or uncertain, often used in dependent clauses after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.

-ra or -se

-ras or -ses

-ra or -se

-ramos or -semos

-rais or -seis

-ran or -sen

“que yo hablara” or “que yo hablase” → “that I spoke”

Present perfect (indicative)

Describes actions that have occurred at an unspecified time in the past and are relevant to the present;

haya

hayas

haya + past participle

hayamos

hayaís

hayan

“…que yo haya hablado” → “…that I have spoken”

Present (subjunctive)

This mood expresses actions that are uncertain, wishful, or subjective, typically used in dependent clauses after verbs that denote emotions, desires, or doubts.

-ar: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en

-er / -ir: a, as, a, amos, áis, an

"…que yo coma" → "…that I eat"

“…que yo hable” → “…that I speak”

Imperative

This mood conveys direct commands or requests, typically used to instruct someone to perform an action. Form depends on positive or negative conjugation.

-ar: - , a, - , emos, ad, -

-er / -ir: - , e, - , amos, -ed/id, -

“¡Habla!” or "¡No hables!" → "(You) Speak!" or "(You) Don't speak!"

(use present subjunctive if using “no”)

Irregular imperative verbs:

1. decir ➔ di (to say)

2. hacer ➔ haz (to do/make)

3. ir ➔ ve (to go)

4. poder ➔ puede (to be able)

5. tener ➔ ten (to have)

6. salir ➔ sal (to leave/go out)

7. venir ➔ ven (to come)

8. ser ➔ sé (to be)