Looking to compress three to four years of university-level Spanish into just a few minutes? This is your chance. Focus on this lesson, put in the effort, and you might be amazed at how much you can learn on just one page. This post covers everything you need to know about Spanish tenses and their conjugations, from the basics to the advanced levels.

If you're unsure about Spanish tenses, here's a quick rundown: they are crucial. Mastering them is essential if you aim to become a proficient Spanish speaker. They are the foundation for constructing complete sentences in any context. So, let's dive in!

Present Spanish Tenses

Present Spanish tenses are used when talking about current events, things happening now, or when expressing thoughts or preferences.

Present Simple Tense

The Spanish present simple tense is used to talk about habits or general occurrences. For example, “I eat rice every night” (Como arroz todas las noches) or “She believes no one deserves to live this way” (Ella cree que nadie merece vivir así).

The present tense is formed by changing the verb endings, which vary depending on whether the verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. In the chart below, the verbs 'hablar', 'comer', and 'abrir' are conjugated to show how to use the present simple tense.

Present Simple Spanish Tense Regular Verb Chart:

Past Spanish Tenses

The past tense is used to talk about events that happened before the present moment, whether it was 2000 years ago, five months ago, yesterday, or just two minutes ago.

In English, we often use one past tense, but Spanish has two distinct past tenses, each with different uses.

Past Preterite Tense

The past preterite tense is used for specific events that occurred at a definite time in the past. For example, “I sold my house” (Vendí mi casa) or “The little boy ate a worm” (El niño se comió un gusano).

Similar to the present tense, the past preterite tense is formed by changing the verb endings, which vary depending on whether the verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir.

Past Preterite Spanish Tense Regular Verb Chart:

Future Spanish Tenses

The future tense is used to discuss events that will occur after the present moment. In Spanish, there are two main ways to express the future, similar to how we talk about future events in English.

Future Inflection

The future inflection in Spanish is similar to using "will" in English. Instead of changing the verb endings, you take the entire verb and add a specific ending. This method is easier to remember as it applies to all verb types.

Spanish Future Inflection Regular Verb Chart:

Spanish Subjunctive Mood

All the previous tenses discussed are in the indicative mood, which indicates reality. The subjunctive mood, also known as the irrealis mood, is used to talk about things that are uncertain, unknown, or influenced by other factors. While there are many uses for the subjunctive, they all share this basic idea of uncertainty.

Present Subjunctive

The Spanish present subjunctive is the most common form and expresses uncertainty or unknown situations in the present or future.

Here are some examples. Note that the subjunctive verb almost always follows the connector ‘que’.

• When you doubt something is true: E.g., I don’t think he’s drinking tonight. | No creo que él tome hoy.
• When you hope for something: E.g., I hope he talks to me. | Espero que me hable.
• When talking about a future event: E.g., When I travel to Uruguay, I’m going to visit all the monuments. | Cuando viaje a Uruguay, voy a conocer todos los monumentos del país.
• When you don’t have a specific one in mind: E.g., Find a chair that can handle this weight. | Encuéntrame una silla que pueda aguantar este peso.
• When it’s whatever: E.g., Do whatever you want. | Haz lo que tú quieras.
• When imposing something on someone: E.g., I want you to wash the dishes. | Quiero que laves los platos.
• General well-wishing: E.g., Hope you find a new job soon! | ¡Que encuentres un nuevo trabajo pronto!

(Note: Adding ‘espero’ is optional here.)

These are just a few examples, but there are many more scenarios where the present subjunctive is used. Keep exploring to master the subjunctive mood.