aspirar — Spanish conjugation

to aspire

Frequency#1206Regular

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
yoaspiroI aspire
aspirasyou aspire
vosaspirásyou aspire
él/ella/Ud.aspirahe/she/it aspires
nosotrosaspiramoswe aspire
vosotrosaspiráisyou (pl.) aspire
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiranthey aspire

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
yoaspiréI aspired
aspirasteyou aspired
vosaspirasteyou aspired
él/ella/Ud.aspiróhe/she/it aspired
nosotrosaspiramoswe aspired
vosotrosaspirasteisyou (pl.) aspired
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiraronthey aspired

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
yoaspiraba
aspirabas
vosaspirabas
él/ella/Ud.aspiraba
nosotrosaspirábamos
vosotrosaspirabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiraban

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
yoaspiraríaI would aspire
aspiraríasyou would aspire
vosaspiraríasyou would aspire
él/ella/Ud.aspiraríahe/she/it would aspire
nosotrosaspiraríamoswe would aspire
vosotrosaspiraríaisyou (pl.) would aspire
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiraríanthey would aspire

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
yoaspiraréI will aspire
aspirarásyou will aspire
vosaspirarásyou will aspire
él/ella/Ud.aspiraráhe/she/it will aspire
nosotrosaspiraremoswe will aspire
vosotrosaspiraréisyou (pl.) will aspire
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiraránthey will aspire

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 aspiradoI have aspired
has aspiradoyou have aspired
voshas aspiradoyou have aspired
él/ella/Ud.ha aspiradohe/she/it has aspired
nosotroshemos aspiradowe have aspired
vosotroshabéis aspiradoyou (pl.) have aspired
ellos/ellas/Uds.han aspiradothey have aspired

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 aspiradoI had aspired
habías aspiradoyou had aspired
voshabías aspiradoyou had aspired
él/ella/Ud.había aspiradohe/she/it had aspired
nosotroshabíamos aspiradowe had aspired
vosotroshabíais aspiradoyou (pl.) had aspired
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían aspiradothey had aspired

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 aspirado
habrías aspirado
voshabrías aspirado
él/ella/Ud.habría aspirado
nosotroshabríamos aspirado
vosotroshabríais aspirado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían aspirado

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 aspiradoI will have aspired
habrás aspiradoyou will have aspired
voshabrás aspiradoyou will have aspired
él/ella/Ud.habrá aspiradohe/she/it will have aspired
nosotroshabremos aspiradowe will have aspired
vosotroshabréis aspiradoyou (pl.) will have aspired
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán aspiradothey will have aspired

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
yoaspire
aspires
vosaspires
él/ella/Ud.aspire
nosotrosaspiremos
vosotrosaspiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiren

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
yoaspirara
aspiraras
vosaspiraras
él/ella/Ud.aspirara
nosotrosaspiráramos
vosotrosaspirarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspiraran

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
yoaspirase
aspirases
vosaspirases
él/ella/Ud.aspirase
nosotrosaspirásemos
vosotrosaspiraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.aspirasen

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 aspirado
hayas aspirado
voshayas aspirado
él/ella/Ud.haya aspirado
nosotroshayamos aspirado
vosotroshayáis aspirado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan aspirado

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 aspirado
hubieras aspirado
voshubieras aspirado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera aspirado
nosotroshubiéramos aspirado
vosotroshubierais aspirado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran aspirado

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
aspira
vosaspirá
él/ella/Ud.aspire
nosotrosaspiremos
vosotrosaspirad
ustedesaspiren

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 aspires
vosno aspires
él/ella/Ud.no aspire
nosotrosno aspiremos
vosotrosno aspiréis
ustedesno aspiren

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 aspirando
estás aspirando
vosestás aspirando
él/ella/Ud.está aspirando
nosotrosestamos aspirando
vosotrosestáis aspirando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están aspirando

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 aspirando
estuviste aspirando
vosestuviste aspirando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo aspirando
nosotrosestuvimos aspirando
vosotrosestuvisteis aspirando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron aspirando

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 aspirando
estabas aspirando
vosestabas aspirando
él/ella/Ud.estaba aspirando
nosotrosestábamos aspirando
vosotrosestabais aspirando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban aspirando

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 aspirando
estarías aspirando
vosestarías aspirando
él/ella/Ud.estaría aspirando
nosotrosestaríamos aspirando
vosotrosestaríais aspirando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían aspirando

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 aspirando
estarás aspirando
vosestarás aspirando
él/ella/Ud.estará aspirando
nosotrosestaremos aspirando
vosotrosestaréis aspirando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán aspirando