Spanish/Tenses
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Contents |
[edit] Vocabulary used in this section:
- Infinitive:
- It is the original form of a verb.
- It ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. (Verbs with the ending -ír are included in the last group.)
- The example infinitives used in this section are: hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), and vivir (to live).
-
- These verbs will be used to show the conjugation patterns of the -ar, -er, and -ir groups, respectively.
- Stem:
- The stem of a verb is the infinitive without its -ar, -er, or -ir ending.
- In most conjugations, a new ending is attached to the stem (future and conditional tenses attach the ending to the infinitive).
- For instance, in the first person singular of the simple present indicative hablar:
- This forms, hablo (the first person singular of the simple present indicative of the verb hablar), which means "I speak".
[edit] List of conjugations
Every Spanish verb exists in three moods (modos in Spanish), namely, indicative, subjunctive, and imperative. The indicative mood (modo indicativo in Spanish) features five tenses (present, preterite, imperfect, future and conditional), while the subjunctive mood (modo subjuntivo in Spanish) features three, preterite and conditional tenses do not exist in the subjunctive. Each of these tenses exists in four separate aspects, namely, simple, perfect, continuous, and perfect continuous. In total, this gives us twenty indicative tenses and twelve subjunctive tenses. In each of these tenses, the verb can be conjugated for six different subjects. In the imperative mood (modo imperativo in Spanish), there exist both affirmative and negative commands, and the verb may be conjugated for five different subjects in each.
Every Spanish verb also has two "non-finite" forms (the past participle and gerund) that do not conjugate based on subject. This brings our count to 36 tenses (not counting its infinitive), and a total of 214 forms of every single verb in the Spanish language. Luckily for learners, the vast majority of these verbs fit into well-defined and easy-to-learn categories. These verbs are called regular verbs, and our three examples of hablar, comer, and vivir are all regular verbs.
On the page for each tense, a complete conjugation chart will be shown, featuring full conjugations for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. For cases in which two or more groups share the same conjugation, redundancy will be avoided. For example, in the imperfect and preterite tenses, in which -er and -ir verbs are conjugated in the same manner, only comer will be listed. Vivir, as its conjugation would be redundant, will not be included. Similarly, the future and conditional as well as all perfect tenses, will feature only hablar, as all verbs undergo the same change.
As previously stated, this appendix features conjugations for regular verbs. Many important verbs (such as haber, tener, estar; all of which are used in this appendix as helping verbs) are irregular, and therefore will not follow the patterns outlined for the regular verbs.
[edit] Preterite vs. Imperfect
The Preterite and the Imperfect are both past tenses. In Spanish, the Preterite (pretérito perfecto) is used for primary, realized (completed) actions, when the action occurred at a specific time.
For example: El verano pasado, yo fui a México.
Fui is the preterite of ir which means to go. El verano pasado is the time it happened, so the sentence says:
Last summer, I went to Mexico.
The imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) is used for secondary, unrealized actions, telling what you used to do, what age someone was, what time it was, and for descriptions.
For example: Yo tenía quince años.
Tenía is an imperfect form of Tener (to have). Age is expressed without exception in the imperfect as it is always an unrealized action. An individual may be 37 now, but they still have the 15 years plus 22 more. The preterit can be used when one turns a certain age, but the verb cumplir, to complete, is used: Ayer yo cumplí los quince años.
