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Spanish Tenses
Spanish Tenses
Pres. Radicals (changes only in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th persons):
e > ie : pensar (to think), querer (to want), mentir (to lie), sentir (to feel), sentar (to sit),
empezar (to start), perder (to lose), cerrar (to close), merendar ( to have a
mid-afternoon snack), encender (to light/switch on), hervir (to boil),
preferir (to prefer)
o/u > ue: jugar (to play), volver (to return), poder (to be able to), soler (to usually ...),
contar (to count), dormir (to sleep), almorzar ( to have lunch), recordar
to remember), aprobar (to pass an exam), mostrar (to show)
* Special case : o → hue, ie. oler (to smell): huelo, hueles, huele, olemos, oléis, huelen
pedir (to ask for), corregir (to correct), seguir (to follow), reír (to laugh),
reñir (to tell off), repetir ( to repeat), servir (to serve), vestir (to dress),
freír (to fry)
eg. pedir→ pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden
reír → río, ríes, ríe, reímos, reís, ríen
reñir → riño, riñes, riñe, reñimos, reñís, riñen
3) verbs ending in vowel + -cer / -cir (1st pers.sg) → add a “z” before “c”
ie. nacer (to be born) → nazco, naces, …
crecer (to grow) → crezco, creces, …
producir (to produce) → produzco, produces, …
obedecer (to obey) → obedezco, obeces, …
*similar verbs: enviar (to send), situar (to locate), actuar (to act)
IMPERFECTO
Used to describe what used to happen or what was going on at some point in the past
(unfinished action).
Est(ar): -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban
Com(er) / vest(ir): -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían
PERFECTO
Used to say what has happened / what I have done in the recent past.
Perf. of haber + past participle (formed by taking off the endings –ar, -er and –ir
and adding –ado and –ido to the stem)
he
has
ha + ado ( -ar)
hemos ido ( -er/ -ir)
habéis
han
Exceptions:
decir → dir+ía, dirías, etc salir → saldr+ía ☺ Exactly the
hacer → har+ía tener → tendr+ía same stems
poder → podr+ía venir → vendr+ía as in the
poner → pondr+ía haber → habr+ía future.
querer → querr+ía caber → cabr+ía
saber → sabr+ía valer → valdr+ía
PLUPERFECTO
The pluperfect tells you what had happened before some other event.
Eg.: Habíamos leído el libro antes de ver la película.
We had read the book before seeing the film.
This tense is formed with the imperfect of haber and the past participle:
-AR -ER/IR
había
habías
había + ado ido
habíamos
habíais
habían