Verb tense and conjugation cheat sheet

Trabajo desde casa los lunes.

I work from home on Mondays.

Habit: plain present, no helper verb.

¿Comes carne o eres vegetariana?

Do you eat meat or are you vegetarian?

Questions keep the same form, just add ¿?.

Mi hermana vive en Medellín.

My sister lives in Medellín.

A state that is true now.

Salimos mañana a las seis.

We leave tomorrow at six.

Present plus a time word covers the near future.

Te llamo en cinco minutos.

I'll call you in five minutes.

Spanish says 'I call you', not 'I will call'.

Ahorita como y te escribo.

I'll eat right now and text you.

Ahorita can mean now or eventually.

Los precios suben cada mes.

Prices go up every month.

General truths use the present.

Ayer hablé con el casero.

Yesterday I spoke with the landlord.

One finished conversation: preterite.

¿Comiste algo antes de salir?

Did you eat something before leaving?

Completed action, yes or no.

Vivimos en Sevilla dos años.

We lived in Seville for two years.

A closed period, so preterite.

Llegaron, pidieron café y se fueron.

They arrived, ordered coffee, and left.

A chain of events, each one done.

Hoy comí tarde.

I ate late today.

Latin America uses the preterite even for today.

La reunión empezó a las nueve en punto.

The meeting started at nine sharp.

Start of an event: preterite.

Pagué la cuenta con tarjeta.

I paid the bill by card.

Spelling change keeps the hard g sound: pagué.

De niño hablaba con todo el mundo.

As a kid I talked to everyone.

A past habit: 'used to'.

Comíamos en la terraza cuando llovía.

We used to eat on the terrace when it rained.

Two habits, both imperfect.

Vivía sola y trabajaba de noche.

She lived alone and worked nights.

Background description of a life.

Eran las ocho y no había nadie.

It was eight and there was no one.

Time and existence in the past.

Yo tenía quince años entonces.

I was fifteen then.

Age always takes the imperfect.

Estaba en la ducha cuando llamaste.

I was in the shower when you called.

Imperfect sets the scene, preterite interrupts.

Quería pedirte un favor.

I wanted to ask you a favor.

Softens a request, very common.

He hablado con ella dos veces.

I've spoken with her twice.

Experience up to now.

¿Has comido en ese sitio?

Have you eaten at that place?

'Ever' question: present perfect.

Hemos vivido aquí desde marzo.

We've lived here since March.

Still true now.

Esta mañana he desayunado en el bar.

This morning I had breakfast at the café.

Spain: same-day events take this tense.

Todavía no han llegado.

They haven't arrived yet.

Todavía no pairs with the present perfect.

Ya he visto esa película.

I've already seen that film.

Visto is an irregular participle.

Cuando llegué, ya habían comido.

When I arrived, they had already eaten.

Two past moments; the earlier one is past perfect.

Nunca había hablado en público.

I had never spoken in public.

Experience up to that past point.

Dijo que había vivido en Lima.

She said she had lived in Lima.

Reported speech about earlier.

No habíamos visto el mensaje.

We hadn't seen the message.

Explains a past misunderstanding.

¿Ya habías pagado cuando cerraron?

Had you already paid when they closed?

Ya plus past perfect: done before.

Apenas hubo hablado, se hizo el silencio.

As soon as he had spoken, silence fell.

Novel-style; in speech: 'apenas habló'.

En cuanto hubieron comido, partieron.

As soon as they had eaten, they set off.

Sequence of two finished actions.

Cuando hubo terminado, firmó el acta.

When she had finished, she signed the record.

Legal register.

No bien hubimos llegado, empezó la tormenta.

No sooner had we arrived than the storm began.

'No bien' is a literary connector.

Luego que hubo vivido allí, escribió el libro.

After he had lived there, he wrote the book.

Recognize it; you won't need to produce it.

Hablaré con el jefe el lunes.

I'll talk to the boss on Monday.

A plan stated as a promise.

¿Comerás con nosotros?

Will you eat with us?

Future question, same endings.

Vivirán cerca del centro.

They'll live near downtown.

Prediction.

Serán las diez, más o menos.

It's probably around ten.

Future of guessing: no time travel involved.

Voy a hablar con ella hoy.

I'm going to talk to her today.

Ir a + infinitive: the everyday future.

Tendré el dinero el viernes.

I'll have the money on Friday.

Tener uses the irregular stem tendr-.

¿Dónde estará mi celular?

Where can my phone be?

Wondering about now.

Para el viernes habré hablado con todos.

By Friday I'll have talked to everyone.

Deadline plus completion.

Habrán comido ya, es tarde.

They must have eaten already, it's late.

Guess about the recent past.

En junio habremos vivido aquí un año.

In June we'll have lived here a year.

Milestone reached in the future.

¿Habrá llegado el paquete?

Do you think the package has arrived?

Wondering, not asking about the future.

Se habrá olvidado de la cita.

He's probably forgotten the appointment.

Soft assumption.

Yo hablaría con ella primero.

I would talk to her first.

Advice framed as what you'd do.

Comería algo, pero no tengo hambre.

I'd eat something, but I'm not hungry.

Hypothetical with a 'but'.

Viviríamos en la playa si pudiéramos.

We'd live at the beach if we could.

Pairs with the imperfect subjunctive after si.

¿Podría ayudarme con esto?

Could you help me with this?

Polite request.

Me gustaría un tinto, por favor.

I'd like a black coffee, please.

Tinto is black coffee here.

Dijo que llegaría a las ocho.

She said she would arrive at eight.

Future from a past viewpoint.

Serían las dos cuando volvió.

It was probably two when he got back.

Guess about the past.

Habría hablado contigo, pero no te vi.

I would have talked to you, but I didn't see you.

The classic 'would have, but'.

Habríamos comido allí si hubiera tenido mesa.

We'd have eaten there if it had had a table.

Pairs with the past perfect subjunctive.

Habrías vivido mejor en el norte.

You would have lived better up north.

Hindsight.

Ya habrían salido cuando llamaste.

They'd already have left when you called.

Guess about the earlier past.

Yo no habría dicho eso.

I wouldn't have said that.

Dicho is an irregular participle.

Estoy hablando por teléfono, espera.

I'm on the phone, hold on.

Happening this second.

¿Están comiendo todavía?

Are they still eating?

In progress, with todavía.

Estamos viviendo un momento raro.

We're living through a strange moment.

A phase in progress.

Está lloviendo otra vez.

It's raining again.

Weather in progress.

Estoy leyendo un libro buenísimo.

I'm reading a great book.

Leer takes the gerund leyendo.

Se está duchando.

She's showering.

Reflexive pronoun can go before estar or on the gerund.

Quiero que hables con tu mamá.

I want you to talk to your mom.

Wanting someone else to act: subjunctive.

Espero que comas bien allá.

I hope you eat well over there.

Hope triggers it.

No creo que vivan aquí todavía.

I don't think they live here anymore.

Doubt triggers it; 'creo que' does not.

Me alegra que estés mejor.

I'm glad you're better.

Emotion about a fact still takes subjunctive.

Llámame cuando llegues.

Call me when you arrive.

Cuando plus future event: subjunctive.

Es importante que tengas paciencia.

It's important that you be patient.

Impersonal opinion: es + adjective + que.

Ojalá que no llueva mañana.

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.

Ojalá always takes the subjunctive.

Quería que hablaras con él.

I wanted you to talk to him.

Past wish about someone else.

Si comieras mejor, dormirías mejor.

If you ate better, you'd sleep better.

Unreal condition plus conditional.

Ojalá viviéramos más cerca.

I wish we lived closer.

Ojalá plus imperfect subjunctive: a wish for now.

Si yo fuera tú, no iría.

If I were you, I wouldn't go.

Fuera comes from fueron.

Quisiera una mesa para dos.

I'd like a table for two.

The politest way to ask.

Habla como si supiera todo.

He talks as if he knew everything.

Como si always takes this tense.

No pensé que fuera tan caro.

I didn't think it was so expensive.

Past doubt.

Me alegra que hayas hablado con ella.

I'm glad you've talked to her.

Emotion about a done deed.

No creo que hayan comido todavía.

I don't think they've eaten yet.

Doubt about the recent past.

Es raro que haya vivido aquí y no lo sepa.

It's odd that he's lived here and doesn't know.

Judgment about a past fact.

Espero que hayas dormido bien.

I hope you slept well.

Hope about what already happened.

Cuando hayas terminado, avísame.

When you've finished, let me know.

Future completion after cuando.

Si hubiera hablado antes, no habría pasado.

If I had spoken up earlier, it wouldn't have happened.

Unreal past plus conditional perfect.

Ojalá hubiéramos comido antes de salir.

I wish we had eaten before leaving.

Regret with ojalá.

Me habría gustado que hubieras vivido eso.

I'd have liked you to have lived through that.

Layered past hypothetical.

No sabía que hubieran llegado.

I didn't know they had arrived.

Past doubt about an earlier event.

Si hubieras venido, te habría encantado.

If you'd come, you would have loved it.

Classic 'if you had' pattern.

Quien hablare en su nombre, responderá por él.

Whoever speaks on his behalf will answer for him.

Contract language; today: quien hable.

Sea lo que fuere.

Whatever it may be.

A fixed phrase you'll still hear.

El que comiere de este pan vivirá.

He who eats of this bread will live.

Old religious register.

Adonde fueres, haz lo que vieres.

Wherever you go, do as you see.

The 'when in Rome' proverb.

Si alguien viviere allí, será notificado.

If anyone lives there, they will be notified.

Legal notice style.

Habla más despacio, por favor.

Speak more slowly, please.

Tú command: same as él present.

Coma algo antes de la reunión.

Eat something before the meeting.

Usted command: present subjunctive form.

Vivan el momento.

Live the moment.

Ustedes command.

Pásame la sal.

Pass me the salt.

Pronouns attach to the end.

Comamos aquí, se ve bien.

Let's eat here, it looks good.

Nosotros command means let's.

Siga derecho y voltee a la derecha.

Go straight and turn right.

Voltear is the Mexican verb for turning.

Dime la verdad.

Tell me the truth.

Di is an irregular tú command.

No hables tan rápido.

Don't talk so fast.

Tú negative: present subjunctive.

No coma eso, está caducado.

Don't eat that, it's expired.

Usted negative.

No vivan con miedo.

Don't live in fear.

Ustedes negative.

No me lo digas.

Don't tell me.

Pronouns go before the verb in negatives.

No te preocupes, yo lo hago.

Don't worry, I'll do it.

The most useful negative command in Spanish.

No se lo cuentes a nadie.

Don't tell anyone.

Two pronouns, both in front.

Quiero hablar contigo.

I want to talk to you.

Second verb stays in the infinitive.

Antes de comer, lávate las manos.

Before eating, wash your hands.

After a preposition: infinitive, not gerund.

Vivir aquí es caro.

Living here is expensive.

Infinitive as the subject.

Tengo que salir temprano.

I have to leave early.

Tener que plus infinitive.

No fumar.

No smoking.

Sign-style command.

He hablado con el banco.

I've spoken with the bank.

After haber: never changes.

La comida está servida.

The food is served.

As an adjective it agrees: servida.

Una vida bien vivida.

A life well lived.

Adjective use, feminine.

Las ventanas estaban abiertas.

The windows were open.

Abierto is irregular.

El informe fue escrito en un día.

The report was written in a day.

Passive with ser; escrito is irregular.

Sigo hablando con ellos cada semana.

I keep talking to them every week.

Seguir plus gerund: to keep doing.

Aprendí español viendo series.

I learned Spanish by watching shows.

Gerund alone means 'by doing'.

Estábamos viviendo en Cali entonces.

We were living in Cali then.

Imperfect of estar plus gerund.

Se fue corriendo.

He ran off.

Ir plus gerund shows manner.

Están durmiendo, no hagas ruido.

They're sleeping, don't make noise.

Dormir shifts to durmiendo.