Ella Verbsvolver to return, to come back Irregular Verb Top 100
At a glance: Volver (to return, to come back) is one of the most common irregular verbs in Spanish. In the present tense: vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven. Yo, tú, ella/él and ellas/ellos change o to ue (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, vuelven); nosotros and vosotros are regular. It is also irregular in the present subjunctive (vuelva) and past participle (vuelto).

Volver conjugation tables as a PDF
A printable two-page cheat sheet, sent to your inbox.
The Indicative Present of volver 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, “vuelvo en dos días”, meaning “I return in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vuelvo | I return |
| Tú | vuelves | you return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | vuelve | s/he returns |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volvemos | we return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volvéis | you (plural) return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | vuelven | they return |
How it’s built: Yo, tú, ella/él and ellas/ellos change o to ue (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, vuelven); nosotros and vosotros are regular.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Indicative Preterite of volver is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “volví en dos días”, meaning “I returned in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volví | I returned |
| Tú | volviste | you returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volvió | s/he returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volvimos | we returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volvisteis | you (plural) returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volvieron | they returned |
How it’s built: Regular: stem volv- plus the -er endings.
The Indicative Imperfect of volver is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “volvía en dos días”, meaning “I used to return in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volvía | I used to return |
| Tú | volvías | you used to return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volvía | s/he used to return |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volvíamos | we used to return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volvíais | you (plural) used to return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volvían | they used to return |
How it’s built: Regular: stem volv- plus the -er endings.
The Indicative Present Continuous of volver is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy volviendo en dos días”, meaning “I am returning in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy volviendo | I am returning |
| Tú | estás volviendo | you are returning |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está volviendo | s/he is returning |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos volviendo | we are returning |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis volviendo | you (plural) are returning |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están volviendo | they are returning |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund volviendo.
The Indicative Informal Future of volver is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a volver en dos días”, meaning “I am going to return in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a volver | I am going to return |
| Tú | vas a volver | you are going to return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a volver | s/he is going to return |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a volver | we are going to return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a volver | you (plural) are going to return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a volver | they are going to return |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive volver.
The Indicative Future of volver is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “volveré en dos días”, meaning “I will return in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volveré | I will return |
| Tú | volverás | you will return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volverá | s/he will return |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volveremos | we will return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volveréis | you (plural) will return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volverán | they will return |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive volver plus the future endings.
The Indicative Conditional of volver is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “volvería en dos días”, meaning “I would return in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volvería | I would return |
| Tú | volverías | you would return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volvería | s/he would return |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volveríamos | we would return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volveríais | you (plural) would return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volverían | they would return |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive volver plus the conditional endings.
The Indicative Present Perfect of volver 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 vuelto en dos días”, meaning “I have returned in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he vuelto | I have returned |
| Tú | has vuelto | you have returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha vuelto | s/he has returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos vuelto | we have returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis vuelto | you (plural) have returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han vuelto | they have returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Indicative Past Perfect of volver is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había vuelto en dos días”, meaning “I had returned in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había vuelto | I had returned |
| Tú | habías vuelto | you had returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había vuelto | s/he had returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos vuelto | we had returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais vuelto | you (plural) had returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían vuelto | they had returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Indicative Future Perfect of volver is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré vuelto en dos días”, meaning “I will have returned in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré vuelto | I will have returned |
| Tú | habrás vuelto | you will have returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá vuelto | s/he will have returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos vuelto | we will have returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis vuelto | you (plural) will have returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán vuelto | they will have returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of volver is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría vuelto en dos días”, meaning “I would have returned in two days”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría vuelto | I would have returned |
| Tú | habrías vuelto | you would have returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría vuelto | s/he would have returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos vuelto | we would have returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais vuelto | you (plural) would have returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían vuelto | they would have returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
Want volver to come out without thinking?
The app teaches the “O to UE” pattern step by step, then quizzes you until forms like vuelvo are automatic.
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, “vuelva”, meaning “I return”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | vuelva | I return |
| Tú | vuelvas | you return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | vuelva | s/he returns |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volvamos | we return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volváis | you (plural) return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | vuelvan | they return |
How it’s built: Yo, tú, ella/él and ellas/ellos follow the yo present, vuelvo (vuelva, vuelvas, vuelva, vuelvan); nosotros and vosotros are regular.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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, “volviera”, meaning “I returned”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volviera | I returned |
| Tú | volvieras | you returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volviera | s/he returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volviéramos | we returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volvierais | you (plural) returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volvieran | they returned |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, volvieron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (volviéramos).
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, “volviere”, meaning “I will return”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | volviere | I will return |
| Tú | volvieres | you will return |
| Ella / Él / Usted | volviere | s/he will return |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volviéremos | we will return |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volviereis | you (plural) will return |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | volvieren | they will return |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, volvieron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (volviéremos).
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 vuelto”, meaning “I have returned”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya vuelto | I have returned |
| Tú | hayas vuelto | you have returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya vuelto | s/he has returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos vuelto | we have returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis vuelto | you (plural) have returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan vuelto | they have returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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 vuelto”, meaning “I had returned”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera vuelto | I had returned |
| Tú | hubieras vuelto | you had returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera vuelto | s/he had returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos vuelto | we had returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais vuelto | you (plural) had returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran vuelto | they had returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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 vuelto”, meaning “I will have returned”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere vuelto | I will have returned |
| Tú | hubieres vuelto | you will have returned |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere vuelto | s/he will have returned |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos vuelto | we will have returned |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis vuelto | you (plural) will have returned |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren vuelto | they will have returned |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the irregular past participle vuelto.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “vuelva”, meaning “(to you formal) return!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | vuelve | (to you) return! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | vuelva | (to you formal) return! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | volvamos | let's return! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | volved | (to you plural) return! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | vuelvan | (to you plural formal) return! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (vuelve); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (vuelva, volvamos, vuelvan); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (volved).
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no vuelva”, meaning “(to you formal) don't return!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no vuelvas | (to you) don't return! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no vuelva | (to you formal) don't return! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no volvamos | let's not return! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no volváis | (to you plural) don't return! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no vuelvan | (to you plural formal) don't return! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no vuelvas, no vuelva, no volvamos, no volváis, no vuelvan.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
Volver is an irregular Spanish verb. In the present tense: yo, tú, ella/él and ellas/ellos change o to ue (vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, vuelven); nosotros and vosotros are regular. It is also irregular in the present subjunctive (vuelva) and past participle (vuelto).
In the present tense (presente), volver is conjugated as: yo vuelvo, tú vuelves, él/ella/usted vuelve, nosotros volvemos, vosotros volvéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes vuelven. 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.
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), volver is conjugated as: yo volví, tú volviste, él/ella/usted volvió, nosotros volvimos, vosotros volvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes volvieron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), volver is conjugated as: yo volvía, tú volvías, él/ella/usted volvía, nosotros volvíamos, vosotros volvíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes volvían. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
In the future tense (futuro simple), volver is conjugated as: yo volveré, tú volverás, él/ella/usted volverá, nosotros volveremos, vosotros volveréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes volverán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), volver is conjugated as: yo vuelva, tú vuelvas, él/ella/usted vuelva, nosotros volvamos, vosotros volváis, ellos/ellas/ustedes vuelvan. 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.
Volver means ‘to return, to come back’ and volverse means ‘to become, to turn’. Volverse is the reflexive form of volver, 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 vuelvo becomes me vuelvo. In the affirmative tú imperative the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb, so vuelve becomes vuélvete.
Here are everyday sentences using volver: ¿Cuándo volverás?" "Todo depende del clima. (When will you be back?" "It all depends on the weather.) Tú te debes quedar aquí hasta que nosotros volvamos. (You are to stay here until we come back.) Tu sueño algún día se volverá realidad. (Your dream will come true some day.) Vuelve a tu sitio. (Go back to your seat.) Me quedo aquí hasta que vuelvas. (I'll stay here till you get back.)
Download and print a cheat sheet of Volver Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:

Get full conjugation tables for Volver and 2,500+ other verbs on-the-go with Ella Verbs for iOS, Android, and web.
We also guide you through learning all Spanish tenses and test your knowledge with conjugation quizzes. Download it for free!

👋 Hola! We built Ella Verbs to help people (and ourselves!) master one of the hardest parts of Spanish – verb conjugation. It guides you through learning all tenses in an easy-to-follow way, giving you levels of bite-sized lessons and fun quizzes. Here is a 6 minute overview of all of the app’s features:
It has changed a lot over the 9+ years we have been working on it, but the goal remains the same – to help you master Spanish conjugation! You can download and try it for free, and, if you do, please send any and all feedback our way!
– Jane & Brian
Why not check out Volverse – to become, to turn or see the complete list of verbs here.

Join 250,000+ others and master your Spanish conjugation with the top-rated verb app, Ella Verbs
Great program that has and is helping me immensely. Four years [studying Spanish] and after just a couple of days with this app I finally am 'getting' the verb thing into my head. After the first couple of lessons I finally feel comfortable conversing with the natives here in Panama. I still have a long way to go but this application was the key for me. Thank you!
Google Play Store