Spanish Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are a pillar of Spanish language learning, since they allow us to describe actions in different moments: past, present and future.

In this article, we will see what verb tenses are, the main types that exist in Spanish and some practical tips so you can learn them and avoid the most common mistakes with them. Let's start!

What are verb tenses?

Verb tenses are the various forms of verbs that tell us when an action occurs. In Spanish, these tenses allow us to talk about actions that are happening now in the present, that happened at some point in the past, or that could happen in the future.

Using the right verb tense is key for others to understand when the action we are talking about happens. Examples of verb tenses in Spanish:

• Present: Yo como una manzana (I eat an apple). Right now, in the present.
• Pretérito perfecto simple (Past tense): Ayer comí una manzana (Yesterday I ate an apple). Action already completed.
• Pretérito imperfecto (Past tense): Cuando era niño, comía manzanas a diario (When I was a child, I ate apples every day). Habit in the past.
• Future: Mañana comeré una manzana (Tomorrow I will eat an apple). Action that will happen later.
• Conditional: Comería una manzana si tuviera hambre (I would eat an apple if I were hungry). Hypothetical action.

Table of Verb Tenses in Spanish

The indicative mood in the verb tenses

The indicative mood in Spanish is the most common and the one used to express concrete facts, realities, situations that occur, have occurred or will occur. 

Unlike the subjunctive (which is used to express desires, doubts or possibilities), the indicative is more direct, because it indicates certainties or observable and verifiable situations. Examples of the indicative mood in different verb tenses:

• Present: Ella vive en Madrid. (She lives in Madrid) - It expresses a current fact.
• Past perfect simple: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday I ate pizza) - Action already completed in the past.
• Future simple: Mañana trabajaré en el proyecto. (Tomorrow I will work on the project)  - Action that will happen in the future.
• Past imperfect: Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. (When I was a child, I played in the park) - Action that was common in the past.
• Conditional: Comería más, pero estoy lleno. (I would eat more, but I am full) - Possible situation, dependent on a condition.

Using the indicative mood is essential to express ourselves clearly when talking about real situations. Most of the basic verb tenses, such as present, preterite, imperfect, future and conditional, are in the indicative mood.

Types of Spanish verb tenses

Spanish verb tenses are divided into three main categories: present, past and future. And, within each of these categories, we also find different tenses with specific uses. Let's explore them now:

Present tense

The present tense is used to talk about actions that are happening right now or are habitual. Examples of sentences in the present tense:

• Leo un libro. (I read a book.)
• Estudio español todos los días. (I study Spanish every day.)
• Mi hermano juega al fútbol. (My brother plays soccer.)
• Ella trabaja en una oficina. (She works in an office.)
• Nosotros vivimos en Caracas. (We live in Caracas.)

Past tense

The past tense in Spanish has several tenses, each with a specific use.

• Past perfect simple

It is used to talk about actions that were already completed in the past. Examples of sentences in the past perfect simple:

Ayer fui al cine. (Yesterday I went to the movies.)

Comí pizza la semana pasada. (I ate pizza last week.)

Vi una película el domingo. (I saw a movie on Sunday.)

Leí una revista ayer. (I read a magazine yesterday.)

Llegué tarde a la clase. (I was late for class.)

• Past imperfect

We use it to describe habitual actions or states in the past. Examples of sentences in the preterite imperfect:

Cuando era niño, jugaba con mis amigos. (When I was a child, I played with my friends.)

Antes vivía en otra ciudad. (I used to live in another city.)

Mi abuela siempre cocinaba pasteles. (My grandmother always baked cakes.)

Ellos iban al parque los domingos. (They went to the park on Sundays.)

Leíamos cuentos antes de dormir. (We read bedtime stories.)

• Past perfect compound tense

We use it to talk about recent actions or actions that still maintain a connection with the present. Examples of sentences in the past perfect perfect:

He terminado mi tarea. (I have finished my homework.)

Ya hemos comido. (We have already eaten.)

Ella ha ido al mercado. (She has gone to the market.)

¿Has visto esa película? (Did you see that movie?)

He hablado con mi jefe. (I talked to my boss.)

Future

To talk about what may happen in the future in Spanish, we have the following verb tenses:

• Simple future

We use it to talk about actions that we are sure will happen in the future. Examples of sentences in the simple future:

Mañana estudiaré español. (Tomorrow I will study Spanish.)

El próximo año viajaré a Colombia. (Next year I will travel to Colombia.)

Cenaremos en un restaurante esta noche. (We will have dinner at a restaurant tonight.)

Ellos llegarán en una hora. (They will arrive in an hour.)

La veré la semana que viene. (I will see her next week.)

• Compound future

We use it to describe actions that will have finished before another future action. Examples of sentences in the compound future:

Habré terminado para cuando llegues. (I will be finished by the time you arrive.)

Ya habré comido cuando me llames. (I will have eaten by the time you call me.)

Habrá llegado a casa antes de la medianoche. (You will have arrived home before midnight.)

Nos habremos visto para entonces. (We will have seen each other by then.)

Ellos habrán salido antes de las nueve. (They will have left before nine o'clock.)

Conditional

The conditional is used to talk about hypothetical or possible situations. They depend on one event happening so that another event can occur. Examples of conditional sentences:

Viviría en la playa si pudiera. (I would live at the beach if I could.)

Ella viajaría más si tuviera tiempo. (She would travel more if she had the time.)

Mi hermano tendría hijos, si tuviera más dinero. (My brother would have children if he had more money.)

Nosotros iríamos, pero está lloviendo. (We would go, but it is raining.)

Me gustaría aprender otro idioma. (I would like to learn another language.)

7

Tips for Learning Spanish Verb Tenses

Learning the verb tenses may seem complicated, but with a few practical tips, you can master each of them.

• Create a list of common verbs and start with their conjugation in each verb tense. For example:

Conjugate ser (to be) in the present tense.(soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son).

Conjugate tener (to have) in the past tense. (tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron). 

Conjugate hacer (to do) in the future tense. (haré, harás, hará, haremos, haréis, harán). 

• Use flashcards to memorize verb forms in different tenses. For example:

On one card, write cantar (sing) in the present tense. (canto, cantas, canta...)

On another card, write vivir (to live) in the past tense. (viví, viviste, vivió...)

Create a card to write ir (to go) in the future tense. (iré, irás, irá...)

• Practice with listening and writing exercises to familiarize yourself with verb tenses. For example:

Listen to a podcast in Spanish and write down all the verb forms you hear.

Listen to a song in Spanish and write down the past tense verbs you identify.

Write a short story using only the future tense.

• Watch series or read books in Spanish to observe how verbs are used in different situations. For example:

Watch a TV show in Spanish and identify the present tense verbs used by the characters.

Read a news story in Spanish and underline the verbs in the preterite tense.

Notice how characters speak in the present, past, and future tenses when you read a book or comic in Spanish.

• Practice aloud or with friends to reinforce learning the verb tenses

Review past tense verbs aloud, saying phrases such as “Ayer comí, dormí, leí...” (Yesterday I ate, I slept, I read...)

Practice using future tense verbs while talking to a friend, making real or fictitious plans: “Mañana iré, haré, veré…”(Tomorrow I will go, I will do, I will see...)

Make a list of daily actions in the present tense and say each verb aloud: “me levanto, como, trabajo...” (“I get up, I eat, I work...”.)

Common mistakes when using verb tenses

Learning to master the use of verb tenses correctly can take some time, but to help you accelerate it by sharing a few of some of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Confusion between the past perfect simple and imperfect tenses

The past perfect simple describes completed actions, while the imperfect is used for habits or descriptions in the past.

• Incorrect: Cuando era niño, jugué con mis amigos. (When I was a child, I played with my friends.)
• Correct: Cuando era niño, jugaba con mis amigos. (When I was a child, I used to play with my friends.)

Forgetting irregular forms

Some verbs change instead of following the regular pattern, so it’s crucial to learn and memorize the proper way to conjugate them.

• Incorrect: Yo saberé la respuesta. (I wille know the answer.)
• Correct: Yo sabré la respuesta. (I will know the answer.)

Incorrect use of the future simple and the conditional

The future is used to talk about actions that will happen, while the conditional helps us to express possibilities or conditions for something to happen.

• Incorrect: Yo iría mañana. (I would go tomorrow (without condition).)
• Correct: Yo iré mañana (I will go tomorrow)

Not using the right tense in context

Each verb tense has a context in which it is most appropriate.

• Incorrect: Mañana estuve ocupado. (I was busy tomorrow.)
• Correct: Mañana estaré ocupado. (Tomorrow I will be busy.)

Errors in compound tenses

Confusion when using compound tenses, such as the past perfect perfect.

• Incorrect: Hemos visto ayer esa película. (We saw that movie yesterday.)
• Correct: Vimos esa película ayer. (We saw that movie yesterday.)

Summary

Spanish verb tenses are essential to express our ideas clearly, in the right tense. Although at first they may seem a little complicated or confusing, we assure you that with some practice and revising some of the tips we saw today through the Promova app, you will soon begin to use them with increasing confidence.

Keep practicing and see how your ability to communicate in Spanish improves!