balar — Spanish conjugation

to bleat

Frequency#542Regular

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

PronounSpanish
yobalo
balas
vosbalás
él/ella/Ud.bala
nosotrosbalamos
vosotrosbaláis
ellos/ellas/Uds.balan

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

PronounSpanish
yobalé
balaste
vosbalaste
él/ella/Ud.baló
nosotrosbalamos
vosotrosbalasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.balaron

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
yobalaba
balabas
vosbalabas
él/ella/Ud.balaba
nosotrosbalábamos
vosotrosbalabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.balaban

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?

PronounSpanish
yobalaría
balarías
vosbalarías
él/ella/Ud.balaría
nosotrosbalaríamos
vosotrosbalaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.balarían

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

PronounSpanish
yobalaré
balarás
vosbalarás
él/ella/Ud.balará
nosotrosbalaremos
vosotrosbalaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.balarán

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

PronounSpanish
yohe balado
has balado
voshas balado
él/ella/Ud.ha balado
nosotroshemos balado
vosotroshabéis balado
ellos/ellas/Uds.han balado

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

PronounSpanish
yohabía balado
habías balado
voshabías balado
él/ella/Ud.había balado
nosotroshabíamos balado
vosotroshabíais balado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían balado

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

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

PronounSpanish
yohabré balado
habrás balado
voshabrás balado
él/ella/Ud.habrá balado
nosotroshabremos balado
vosotroshabréis balado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán balado

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
yobale
bales
vosbales
él/ella/Ud.bale
nosotrosbalemos
vosotrosbaléis
ellos/ellas/Uds.balen

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
yobalara
balaras
vosbalaras
él/ella/Ud.balara
nosotrosbaláramos
vosotrosbalarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.balaran

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
yobalase
balases
vosbalases
él/ella/Ud.balase
nosotrosbalásemos
vosotrosbalaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.balasen

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

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

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
bala
vosbalá
él/ella/Ud.bale
nosotrosbalemos
vosotrosbalad
ustedesbalen

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 bales
vosno bales
él/ella/Ud.no bale
nosotrosno balemos
vosotrosno baléis
ustedesno balen

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

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

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

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

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