Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Pretender in Spanish
pretender to intend, to attempt, to aspire to Regular ER Verb
At a glance: Pretender (to intend, to attempt, to aspire to) is a regular -ER verb in Spanish. In the present tense: pretendo, pretendes, pretende, pretendemos, pretendéis, pretenden. Because it is fully regular, its endings apply directly to hundreds of other -ER verbs.
- Past participle
- pretendido intended
- Gerund
- pretendiendo intending
- Similar
- ambicionar, intentar
Table of contents
- Indicative tenses of Pretender
- Pretender in the Indicative Present
- Pretender in the Indicative Preterite
- Pretender in the Indicative Imperfect
- Pretender in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Pretender in the Indicative Informal Future
- Pretender in the Indicative Future
- Pretender in the Indicative Conditional
- Pretender in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Pretender in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Pretender in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Pretender in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Pretender
- Imperative tenses of Pretender
- Verbs that follow the same patterns
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practise Pretender conjugations (free mobile app)
Pretender conjugation tables as a PDF
A printable two-page cheat sheet, sent to your inbox.
Indicative tenses of Pretender
Pretender in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of pretender 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, “pretendo”, meaning “I intend”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendo | I intend |
| Tú | pretendes | you intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretende | s/he intends |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendemos | we intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendéis | you (plural) intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretenden | they intend |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pretend- plus the -er endings.
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Pretender in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of pretender is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “pretendí”, meaning “I intended”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendí | I intended |
| Tú | pretendiste | you intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretendió | s/he intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendimos | we intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendisteis | you (plural) intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendieron | they intended |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pretend- plus the -er endings.
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Pretender in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of pretender is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “pretendía”, meaning “I used to intend”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendía | I used to intend |
| Tú | pretendías | you used to intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretendía | s/he used to intend |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendíamos | we used to intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendíais | you (plural) used to intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendían | they used to intend |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pretend- plus the -er endings.
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Pretender in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of pretender is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy pretendiendo”, meaning “I am intending”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy pretendiendo | I am intending |
| Tú | estás pretendiendo | you are intending |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está pretendiendo | s/he is intending |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos pretendiendo | we are intending |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis pretendiendo | you (plural) are intending |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están pretendiendo | they are intending |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund pretendiendo.
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Pretender in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of pretender is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a pretender”, meaning “I am going to intend”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a pretender | I am going to intend |
| Tú | vas a pretender | you are going to intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a pretender | s/he is going to intend |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a pretender | we are going to intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a pretender | you (plural) are going to intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a pretender | they are going to intend |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive pretender.
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Pretender in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of pretender is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “pretenderé”, meaning “I will intend”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretenderé | I will intend |
| Tú | pretenderás | you will intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretenderá | s/he will intend |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretenderemos | we will intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretenderéis | you (plural) will intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretenderán | they will intend |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive pretender plus the future endings.
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Pretender in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of pretender is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “pretendería”, meaning “I would intend”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendería | I would intend |
| Tú | pretenderías | you would intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretendería | s/he would intend |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretenderíamos | we would intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretenderíais | you (plural) would intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretenderían | they would intend |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive pretender plus the conditional endings.
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Pretender in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of pretender 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 pretendido”, meaning “I have intended”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he pretendido | I have intended |
| Tú | has pretendido | you have intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha pretendido | s/he has intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos pretendido | we have intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis pretendido | you (plural) have intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han pretendido | they have intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Pretender in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of pretender is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había pretendido”, meaning “I had intended”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había pretendido | I had intended |
| Tú | habías pretendido | you had intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había pretendido | s/he had intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos pretendido | we had intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais pretendido | you (plural) had intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían pretendido | they had intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Pretender in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of pretender is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré pretendido”, meaning “I will have intended”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré pretendido | I will have intended |
| Tú | habrás pretendido | you will have intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá pretendido | s/he will have intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos pretendido | we will have intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis pretendido | you (plural) will have intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán pretendido | they will have intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Pretender in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of pretender is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría pretendido”, meaning “I would have intended”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría pretendido | I would have intended |
| Tú | habrías pretendido | you would have intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría pretendido | s/he would have intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos pretendido | we would have intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais pretendido | you (plural) would have intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían pretendido | they would have intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Subjunctive tenses of Pretender
Pretender 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, “pretenda”, meaning “I intend”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretenda | I intend |
| Tú | pretendas | you intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretenda | s/he intends |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendamos | we intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendáis | you (plural) intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendan | they intend |
How it’s built: Regular: stem pretend- plus the -er subjunctive endings.
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Pretender 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, “pretendiera”, meaning “I intended”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendiera | I intended |
| Tú | pretendieras | you intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretendiera | s/he intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendiéramos | we intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendierais | you (plural) intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendieran | they intended |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, pretendieron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (pretendiéramos).
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Pretender 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, “pretendiere”, meaning “I will intend”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pretendiere | I will intend |
| Tú | pretendieres | you will intend |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretendiere | s/he will intend |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendiéremos | we will intend |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretendiereis | you (plural) will intend |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendieren | they will intend |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, pretendieron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (pretendiéremos).
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Pretender 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 pretendido”, meaning “I have intended”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya pretendido | I have intended |
| Tú | hayas pretendido | you have intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya pretendido | s/he has intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos pretendido | we have intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis pretendido | you (plural) have intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan pretendido | they have intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Pretender 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 pretendido”, meaning “I had intended”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera pretendido | I had intended |
| Tú | hubieras pretendido | you had intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera pretendido | s/he had intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos pretendido | we had intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais pretendido | you (plural) had intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran pretendido | they had intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Pretender 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 pretendido”, meaning “I will have intended”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere pretendido | I will have intended |
| Tú | hubieres pretendido | you will have intended |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere pretendido | s/he will have intended |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos pretendido | we will have intended |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis pretendido | you (plural) will have intended |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren pretendido | they will have intended |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the past participle pretendido.
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Imperative tenses of Pretender
Pretender in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “pretenda”, meaning “(to you formal) intend!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | pretende | (to you) intend! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | pretenda | (to you formal) intend! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | pretendamos | let's intend! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | pretended | (to you plural) intend! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | pretendan | (to you plural formal) intend! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (pretende); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (pretenda, pretendamos, pretendan); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (pretended).
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Pretender in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no pretenda”, meaning “(to you formal) don't intend!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no pretendas | (to you) don't intend! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no pretenda | (to you formal) don't intend! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no pretendamos | let's not intend! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no pretendáis | (to you plural) don't intend! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no pretendan | (to you plural formal) don't intend! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no pretendas, no pretenda, no pretendamos, no pretendáis, no pretendan.
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Frequently asked questions about Pretender
Is pretender a regular or irregular verb?
Pretender is a fully regular -ER verb. It follows the standard -ER 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 -ER conjugation system.
How do you conjugate pretender in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), pretender is conjugated as: yo pretendo, tú pretendes, él/ella/usted pretende, nosotros pretendemos, vosotros pretendéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pretenden. 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 pretender in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), pretender is conjugated as: yo pretendí, tú pretendiste, él/ella/usted pretendió, nosotros pretendimos, vosotros pretendisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pretendieron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate pretender in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), pretender is conjugated as: yo pretendía, tú pretendías, él/ella/usted pretendía, nosotros pretendíamos, vosotros pretendíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes pretendían. 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 pretender in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), pretender is conjugated as: yo pretenderé, tú pretenderás, él/ella/usted pretenderá, nosotros pretenderemos, vosotros pretenderéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pretenderán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate pretender in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), pretender is conjugated as: yo pretenda, tú pretendas, él/ella/usted pretenda, nosotros pretendamos, vosotros pretendáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pretendan. 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.
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Pretender Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Practise Pretender conjugations (free mobile & web app)
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Want to explore other verb conjugations?
Why not check out Prevenir – to prevent or see the complete list of verbs here.
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