ahorrar — Spanish conjugation

to save

Frequency#494RegularReflexiveahorrarse — to save oneself

Indicative

Present (Presente) Regular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanishEnglish
yoahorroI save
ahorrasyou save
vosahorrásyou save
él/ella/Ud.ahorrahe/she/it saves
nosotrosahorramoswe save
vosotrosahorráisyou (pl.) save
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorranthey save

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanishEnglish
yoahorréI saved
ahorrasteyou saved
vosahorrasteyou saved
él/ella/Ud.ahorróhe/she/it saved
nosotrosahorramoswe saved
vosotrosahorrasteisyou (pl.) saved
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorraronthey saved

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yoahorraba
ahorrabas
vosahorrabas
él/ella/Ud.ahorraba
nosotrosahorrábamos
vosotrosahorrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorraban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanishEnglish
yoahorraríaI would save
ahorraríasyou would save
vosahorraríasyou would save
él/ella/Ud.ahorraríahe/she/it would save
nosotrosahorraríamoswe would save
vosotrosahorraríaisyou (pl.) would save
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorraríanthey would save

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanishEnglish
yoahorraréI will save
ahorrarásyou will save
vosahorrarásyou will save
él/ella/Ud.ahorraráhe/she/it will save
nosotrosahorraremoswe will save
vosotrosahorraréisyou (pl.) will save
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorraránthey will save

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohe ahorradoI have saved
has ahorradoyou have saved
voshas ahorradoyou have saved
él/ella/Ud.ha ahorradohe/she/it has saved
nosotroshemos ahorradowe have saved
vosotroshabéis ahorradoyou (pl.) have saved
ellos/ellas/Uds.han ahorradothey have saved

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabía ahorradoI had saved
habías ahorradoyou had saved
voshabías ahorradoyou had saved
él/ella/Ud.había ahorradohe/she/it had saved
nosotroshabíamos ahorradowe had saved
vosotroshabíais ahorradoyou (pl.) had saved
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían ahorradothey had saved

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yohabría ahorrado
habrías ahorrado
voshabrías ahorrado
él/ella/Ud.habría ahorrado
nosotroshabríamos ahorrado
vosotroshabríais ahorrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían ahorrado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabré ahorradoI will have saved
habrás ahorradoyou will have saved
voshabrás ahorradoyou will have saved
él/ella/Ud.habrá ahorradohe/she/it will have saved
nosotroshabremos ahorradowe will have saved
vosotroshabréis ahorradoyou (pl.) will have saved
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán ahorradothey will have saved

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Regular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yoahorre
ahorres
vosahorres
él/ella/Ud.ahorre
nosotrosahorremos
vosotrosahorréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yoahorrara
ahorraras
vosahorraras
él/ella/Ud.ahorrara
nosotrosahorráramos
vosotrosahorrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorraran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yoahorrase
ahorrases
vosahorrases
él/ella/Ud.ahorrase
nosotrosahorrásemos
vosotrosahorraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.ahorrasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yohaya ahorrado
hayas ahorrado
voshayas ahorrado
él/ella/Ud.haya ahorrado
nosotroshayamos ahorrado
vosotroshayáis ahorrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan ahorrado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yohubiera ahorrado
hubieras ahorrado
voshubieras ahorrado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera ahorrado
nosotroshubiéramos ahorrado
vosotroshubierais ahorrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran ahorrado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Regular

Direct commands and instructions. The imperative only exists for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros and ustedes — yo has no command form. Affirmative and negative forms use different conjugations.

Habla más despacio — Speak more slowly

PronounSpanish
ahorra
vosahorrá
él/ella/Ud.ahorre
nosotrosahorremos
vosotrosahorrad
ustedesahorren

Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular

Negative commands use the subjunctive forms for all persons. Formed with no + present subjunctive. This applies to all persons including tú where the affirmative uses a different form.

No hables tan rápido — Do not speak so fast

PronounSpanish
no ahorres
vosno ahorres
él/ella/Ud.no ahorre
nosotrosno ahorremos
vosotrosno ahorréis
ustedesno ahorren

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yoestoy ahorrando
estás ahorrando
vosestás ahorrando
él/ella/Ud.está ahorrando
nosotrosestamos ahorrando
vosotrosestáis ahorrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están ahorrando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yoestuve ahorrando
estuviste ahorrando
vosestuviste ahorrando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo ahorrando
nosotrosestuvimos ahorrando
vosotrosestuvisteis ahorrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron ahorrando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yoestaba ahorrando
estabas ahorrando
vosestabas ahorrando
él/ella/Ud.estaba ahorrando
nosotrosestábamos ahorrando
vosotrosestabais ahorrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban ahorrando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yoestaría ahorrando
estarías ahorrando
vosestarías ahorrando
él/ella/Ud.estaría ahorrando
nosotrosestaríamos ahorrando
vosotrosestaríais ahorrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían ahorrando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yoestaré ahorrando
estarás ahorrando
vosestarás ahorrando
él/ella/Ud.estará ahorrando
nosotrosestaremos ahorrando
vosotrosestaréis ahorrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán ahorrando