Ella VerbsSpanish Verb Tense Names in English
Below we cover the major Spanish verb tenses (and moods), including their name in Spanish and in English. It can be confusing at times, but remember that in our app, you can choose to use either option! Here's a quick summary table, but you can scroll down (or click a specific tense) to get more information and examples.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El presente | Indicative present |
| El presente progresivo | Indicative present continuous |
| El futuro próximo | Indicative informal future |
| El pretérito perfecto | Indicative present perfect |
| El pretérito indefinido | Indicative preterite |
| El pretérito imperfecto | Indicative imperfect |
| El pretérito pluscuamperfecto | Indicative past perfect |
| El futuro simple | Indicative future |
| El futuro perfecto | Indicative future perfect |
| El condicional simple | Indicative conditional |
| El condicional perfecto | Indicative conditional perfect |
| El presente de subjuntivo | Subjunctive present |
| El imperfecto subjuntivo | Subjunctive imperfect |
| El futuro de subjuntivo | Subjunctive future |
| El pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo | Subjunctive present perfect |
| El pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo | Subjunctive past perfect |
| El futuro perfecto de subjuntivo | Subjunctive future perfect |
| El imperativo afirmativo | Imperative affirmative present |
| El imperativo negativo | Imperative negative present |
Note: above and below, we include the mood (e.g. indicative or subjunctive) in the tense names.
El Presente
In English: Indicative present
Explained: to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, John come el almuerzo a las 12:00 todos los días. John eats lunch at 12pm every day.
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El Presente Progresivo
In English: Indicative present continuous
Explained: to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, Matt está jugando al fútbol. Matt is playing football.
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El Futuro Próximo
In English: Indicative informal future
Explained: to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, Andy va a conducir el coche. Andy is going to drive the car.
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El Pretérito Perfecto
In English: Indicative present perfect
Explained: to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, Olga ha visto la película. Olga has seen that movie.
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El Pretérito Indefinido
In English: Indicative preterite
Explained: to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, Anoche fuimos a una fiesta hasta las seis de la mañana. Last night we went to a party until six in the morning.
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El Pretérito Imperfecto
In English: Indicative imperfect
Explained: to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, Las chicas hablaban en español. The girls spoke in Spanish.
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El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
In English: Indicative past perfect
Explained: to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, Cody había comido tacos antes de ir al club. Cody had eaten tacos before he went to the club.
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El Futuro Simple
In English: Indicative future
Explained: to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, Brian comerá paella con su familia en domingo. Brian will eat paella on Sunday with his family.
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El Futuro Perfecto
In English: Indicative future perfect
Explained: to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, I will have finished the interview by this time tomorrow. Habré terminado la entrevista mañana a esta hora.
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El Condicional Simple
In English: Indicative conditional
Explained: to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, Nos gustaría viajar el mundo. We would like to travel the world.
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El Condicional Perfecto
In English: Indicative conditional perfect
Explained: to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, Yo habría comprado los zapatos pero no tenía dinero. I would have bought the shoes, but I didn't have money.
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El Presente de Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive present
Explained: to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, No creo que el español sea un idioma fácil. I don't think Spanish is an easy language
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El Imperfecto Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive imperfect
Explained: to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, Si ganaran la lotería, darían la mayoría a la caridad. If they won the lottery, they would give the majority money to charity.
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El Futuro de Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive future
Explained: to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, Hablare contigo. I will speak with you.
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El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive present perfect
Explained: to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, Es bueno que haya estudiado para el examen. It’s good that he studied for the exam.
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El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive past perfect
Explained: to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, Ojalá que hubiera/hubiese sabido. I wish I had known.
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El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo
In English: Subjunctive future perfect
Explained: to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, Hubiere hablado contigo. I will have spoken with you.
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El Imperativo Afirmativo
In English: Imperative affirmative present
Explained: to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, Clare, come la cena! Clare, eat your dinner!
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El Imperativo Negativo
In English: Imperative negative present
Explained: to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, Harry, apaga la television! Harry, turn off the television!
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