Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Callar in Spanish
callar to stop talking, to be quiet Regular AR Verb
At a glance: Callar (to stop talking, to be quiet) is a regular -AR verb in Spanish. In the present tense: callo, callas, calla, callamos, calláis, callan. Because it is fully regular, its endings apply directly to hundreds of other -AR verbs.
- Past participle
- callado stopped talking
- Gerund
- callando stopping talking
Table of contents
- Indicative tenses of Callar
- Callar in the Indicative Present
- Callar in the Indicative Preterite
- Callar in the Indicative Imperfect
- Callar in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Callar in the Indicative Informal Future
- Callar in the Indicative Future
- Callar in the Indicative Conditional
- Callar in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Callar in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Callar in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Callar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Callar
- Imperative tenses of Callar
- Verbs that follow the same patterns
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practise Callar conjugations (free mobile app)
Callar conjugation tables as a PDF
A printable two-page cheat sheet, sent to your inbox.
Indicative tenses of Callar
Callar in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of callar is used 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, “callo”, meaning “I stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callo | I stop talking |
| Tú | callas | you stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | calla | s/he stops talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callamos | we stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | calláis | you (plural) stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callan | they stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: stem call- plus the -ar endings.
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Callar in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of callar is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “callé”, meaning “I stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callé | I stopped talking |
| Tú | callaste | you stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | calló | s/he stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callamos | we stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callasteis | you (plural) stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callaron | they stopped talking |
How it’s built: Regular: stem call- plus the -ar endings.
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Callar in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of callar is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “callaba”, meaning “I used to stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callaba | I used to stop talking |
| Tú | callabas | you used to stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | callaba | s/he used to stop talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callábamos | we used to stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callabais | you (plural) used to stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callaban | they used to stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: stem call- plus the -ar endings.
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Callar in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of callar is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy callando”, meaning “I am stopping talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy callando | I am stopping talking |
| Tú | estás callando | you are stopping talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está callando | s/he is stopping talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos callando | we are stopping talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis callando | you (plural) are stopping talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están callando | they are stopping talking |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund callando.
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Callar in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of callar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a callar”, meaning “I am going to stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a callar | I am going to stop talking |
| Tú | vas a callar | you are going to stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a callar | s/he is going to stop talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a callar | we are going to stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a callar | you (plural) are going to stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a callar | they are going to stop talking |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive callar.
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Callar in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of callar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “callaré”, meaning “I will stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callaré | I will stop talking |
| Tú | callarás | you will stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | callará | s/he will stop talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callaremos | we will stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callaréis | you (plural) will stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callarán | they will stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive callar plus the future endings.
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Callar in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of callar is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “callaría”, meaning “I would stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callaría | I would stop talking |
| Tú | callarías | you would stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | callaría | s/he would stop talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callaríamos | we would stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callaríais | you (plural) would stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callarían | they would stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive callar plus the conditional endings.
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Callar in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of callar is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, “he callado”, meaning “I have stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he callado | I have stopped talking |
| Tú | has callado | you have stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha callado | s/he has stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos callado | we have stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis callado | you (plural) have stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han callado | they have stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the past participle callado.
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Callar in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of callar is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había callado”, meaning “I had stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había callado | I had stopped talking |
| Tú | habías callado | you had stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había callado | s/he had stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos callado | we had stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais callado | you (plural) had stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían callado | they had stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the past participle callado.
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Callar in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of callar is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré callado”, meaning “I will have stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré callado | I will have stopped talking |
| Tú | habrás callado | you will have stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá callado | s/he will have stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos callado | we will have stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis callado | you (plural) will have stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán callado | they will have stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the past participle callado.
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Callar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of callar is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría callado”, meaning “I would have stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría callado | I would have stopped talking |
| Tú | habrías callado | you would have stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría callado | s/he would have stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos callado | we would have stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais callado | you (plural) would have stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían callado | they would have stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the past participle callado.
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Subjunctive tenses of Callar
Callar in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used 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, “calle”, meaning “I stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | calle | I stop talking |
| Tú | calles | you stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | calle | s/he stops talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callemos | we stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | calléis | you (plural) stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callen | they stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: stem call- plus the -ar subjunctive endings.
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Callar in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used 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, “callara”, meaning “I stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callara | I stopped talking |
| Tú | callaras | you stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | callara | s/he stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | calláramos | we stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callarais | you (plural) stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callaran | they stopped talking |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, callaron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (calláramos).
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Callar in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, “callare”, meaning “I will stop talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | callare | I will stop talking |
| Tú | callares | you will stop talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | callare | s/he will stop talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | calláremos | we will stop talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callareis | you (plural) will stop talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callaren | they will stop talking |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, callaron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (calláremos).
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Callar in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used 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, “haya callado”, meaning “I have stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya callado | I have stopped talking |
| Tú | hayas callado | you have stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya callado | s/he has stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos callado | we have stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis callado | you (plural) have stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan callado | they have stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the past participle callado.
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Callar in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, “hubiera callado”, meaning “I had stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera callado | I had stopped talking |
| Tú | hubieras callado | you had stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera callado | s/he had stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos callado | we had stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais callado | you (plural) had stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran callado | they had stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the past participle callado.
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Callar in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, “hubiere callado”, meaning “I will have stopped talking”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere callado | I will have stopped talking |
| Tú | hubieres callado | you will have stopped talking |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere callado | s/he will have stopped talking |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos callado | we will have stopped talking |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis callado | you (plural) will have stopped talking |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren callado | they will have stopped talking |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the past participle callado.
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Imperative tenses of Callar
Callar in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “calle”, meaning “(to you formal) stop talking!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | calla | (to you) stop talking! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | calle | (to you formal) stop talking! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | callemos | let's stop talking! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | callad | (to you plural) stop talking! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | callen | (to you plural formal) stop talking! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (calla); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (calle, callemos, callen); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (callad).
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Callar in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no calle”, meaning “(to you formal) don't stop talking!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no calles | (to you) don't stop talking! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no calle | (to you formal) don't stop talking! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no callemos | let's not stop talking! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no calléis | (to you plural) don't stop talking! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no callen | (to you plural formal) don't stop talking! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no calles, no calle, no callemos, no calléis, no callen.
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Frequently asked questions about Callar
Is callar a regular or irregular verb?
Callar is a fully regular -AR verb. It follows the standard -AR conjugation pattern in every tense and mood without any stem changes, spelling changes, or irregular forms. This makes it a model verb for learning the -AR conjugation system.
How do you conjugate callar in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), callar is conjugated as: yo callo, tú callas, él/ella/usted calla, nosotros callamos, vosotros calláis, ellos/ellas/ustedes callan. The present tense is used 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.
How do you conjugate callar in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), callar is conjugated as: yo callé, tú callaste, él/ella/usted calló, nosotros callamos, vosotros callasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes callaron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate callar in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), callar is conjugated as: yo callaba, tú callabas, él/ella/usted callaba, nosotros callábamos, vosotros callabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes callaban. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
How do you conjugate callar in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), callar is conjugated as: yo callaré, tú callarás, él/ella/usted callará, nosotros callaremos, vosotros callaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes callarán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate callar in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), callar is conjugated as: yo calle, tú calles, él/ella/usted calle, nosotros callemos, vosotros calléis, ellos/ellas/ustedes callen. The present subjunctive is used 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.
What’s the difference between callar and callarse?
Callar means ‘to stop talking, to be quiet’ and callarse means ‘to keep quiet, to say nothing’. Callarse is the reflexive form of callar, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun – me, te, se, nos, os or se – that matches the subject. The verb itself is conjugated the same way: in the present tense, yo callo becomes me callo. In the affirmative tú imperative the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb, so calla becomes cállate.
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Downloadable cheat sheets
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Want to explore other verb conjugations?
Why not check out Callarse – to keep quiet, to say nothing or see the complete list of verbs here.
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